Have you ever used one of these phrases?
“I hope you have a great day!”
“I hope you find love again.”
“I hope you don’t feel this way forever.”
“I hope you get some closure.”
“I hope you have a great birthday!”
Grief can be marked by hopelessness and that can be hard to witness in someone that you love dearly. But being forced to look toward a future without their beloved in it can be debilitating for a bereaved person.
I know you want your person to be okay. It’s only natural to hope that they will be okay.
Unfortunately, expressing your hope can feel dismissive and invalidating to someone who has experienced the death of their beloved; inferring that you would prefer to see them in a different state rather than respecting their present experience.
On the topic of hope, grief expert and author David Kessler, in his book Finding Meaning says that: “Until you can find it, I’ll hold it for you.”
My book, Grief Ally, is full of tips like this one & you can order it now. This tip can be found on page 77.
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