Losing someone to suicide is different than other types of loss. And because of that the words we use around it should be considered and thought about more. Families often feel guilt, shock, anger and lots of questions asking why that never fully get answered. On top of that there’s still a stigma that can … Read more
A neighbor of mine lost his wife a few years ago. I really struggled with what to say in a sympathy card for him. We weren’t close but had waved at each other and had brief chats. I didn’t know that much about either of them though. So what do you write to someone you … Read more
When a friend of mine lost her own sister a few years ago and asked me to help her with what to say at the memorial I really struggled knowing where to start. How do you sum up a person who was there for every part of your life. A tribute is different from a … Read more
When you lose a brother it’s normal to want to pay tribute to him. He probably had a huge impact on your life and you may have been very close. So how do you sum up a whole life in a few sentences. If you’re staring at a screen or a memorial page or a … Read more
Finding out that someone you care about has terminal cancer is so hard. Obviously it’s nothing compared to what they’re going through but it’s still a shock and something you have to process. And there’s the fact that you’ll want to reach out. You want to say something. But every sentence that comes to mind … Read more
Knowing what to say to someone after a miscarriage is one of the hardest things you’ll ever try to put into words. You want to comfort and make sure you’re there for them. But you’re terrified of saying the wrong thing and making an already terrible moment worse. So a lot of people end up … Read more
When you find out someone you knew has died but it’s wasn’t recently you can be forgiven for panicking. It could be that you were just scrolling through Facebook or chatting with an old friend and then you’re hit with the news. There’s the grief, of course. But there’s also guilt. You weren’t there. You … Read more
It can be very awkward when you find out someone you’ve lost touch with has had a death in the family. You want to reach out. You really should reach out. But you’re probably thinking: won’t it be weird after all this time? You might have drifted apart with no real falling out. Maybe life … Read more
There aren’t really any words that fix a stillbirth. I want to say that right at the start because if you’ve found your way here hoping I’ll be able to give you the perfect words that takes away someone’s pain then I’d be lying to you. But there are both kinder things you can say … Read more
It’s one of the hardest things to find words for. When someone you care about has been through IVF and it hasn’t worked, or they’ve lost a pregnancy after everything they put themselves through to get there, you want to say something. You are also terrified of saying the wrong thing. It’s completely normal to … Read more