The Secret Life of Adults (and other kids)-The “right thing” if someone dies
[This article is part of a series where we reveal stuff that adults or kids don’t usually admit to each other. Mostly it’s me fessing up to my secret thoughts or stuff I’ve done that maybe I shouldn’t have.]
One of the people at the store just lost their Dad, and my heart is kinda breaking for them as I write this. I’m (like everyone else around him and his family) trying to figure out what the “right” thing is to say. And I want let him know that there are tons of ways that are normal to react to this, that there is no “right” way for him to feel, that whatever he’s feeling, it really is ok. The truth is that everybody has a hard time figuring this out.
It feels like you should know the right thing to say or do when you find out about a loss that is just to big too imagine. If is a friend or someone we love, we tend fall back on “I’m so sorry for your loss” and “Is there anything I can do”. And if it is you, you accept those words in a blur, unable to believe that the rest of the world is still going on as usual when everything has just completely changed. Trying to figure out the right thing to do or feel makes a really tough time, much tougher.
If you are going through this, and this is intended for our friend, this stuff comes at you as it comes, and it’s all ok. All the cliche stuff has some basis in truth, but the order of what you are going through, and when or if you go through it is different for each person.
- For some people, it hits them like a hammer to the gut right away.
- For others, they feel bad that they don’t feel “enough” at the beginning.
- Some people reach out to their friends and loved ones for support, others don’t want to talk about it.
- Some take great comfort from the people who reach out, others snap back at them, because how can they understand?
- Some put on a brave face to show that they are ok, and that no one needs to worry about them.
- Some focus all their attention of taking care of the others in their family who are hurt.
- Some just put all the feelings away to deal with later
- Some just cry until they can’t cry anymore
- Some write or draw or do anything else they can to either process or distract themselves
- And a thousand other things…
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