5 Things You Shouldn’t Say to People Who Have Lost a Loved One

Photo by David Monje on Unsplash

Last week, I lost my mother. It is one of the most painful things that I have ever had to go through. I’m still grieving and I am still unsure how to navigate this sea of sorrow.

Over the last few days, I’ve had the oddest encounters with people. Despite all the loss that we are all going through, in one form or another, people seem to have lost a certain sense of decency when it comes to sending their condolences. Maybe this pandemic has desensitized us to the pain others feel when it comes to death.

1. “I know how you feel” — The truth is, no one will ever know the pain one goes through after losing a loved one. Each of us has a unique relationship with the person who passed. I ended up talking to several people this week — my aunts and my mother’s friends. Some have said that they know exactly how I feel. No, they don’t. They probably feel a sense of loss, too. But it is entirely different to how a child feels losing his/her parent. Why don’t we just acknowledge that you are sad and I am sad? We both have feelings, but they are different. There’s no need to compare your feelings of loss to mine or your experiences with death to mine.
2. “How did she die?” Yes, you want to satisfy your curiosity, but this is not exactly the best time to do it. Unless the bereaved offers the information…