A lady in our ward passed away last week. She lived in the apartment across from us with her husband, daughter and granddaughter. They're a wonderful family and while she'd been in poor health for quite some time it was still a shock.
I feel for them. It's never easy dealing with a death in the family. Despite brave faces and assurances of their well-being, it's obvious they need love and assistance. Who wouldn't?
Which brings me to my dilemma: what do you say to people in that situation? I feel terribly awkward around those who have just lost loved ones. Any time I attempt to sound genuine in my condolences I feel I'm coming across as a complete fake. Words from any mere acquaintance would seem shallow.
Our neighbors are great people but I find myself trying to avoid them because I'm not sure of what to say. I certainly feel sorry for them and want to help, but saying those things seems so cliche and insincere.
But something needs to be said. Can you imagine never telling your neighbor you were sorry their wife/mother died? Horrible!
Overall, I suppose it's the though that counts even if I don't have a better way to express those thoughts than the standard, "I'm sorry to hear about your loss."
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my grandma passed away a couple of weeks ago, and i really did appreciate everyone who said "i'm so sorry to hear about your grandma." for my mom, i know she appreciated the words (as awkward as they may seem coming out), but she also appreciated the cards that were sent and dropped off at the house. so, i would recommend a card of some sort...just a 'thinking of you' card and let them know how much you appreciated this wonderful woman. knowing that she was loved even by her neighbors across the hall could mean the world to her family. good luck :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Mildred.
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