DTH-XI-0011
“I'm helping a friend through their grief and I don't know what to say.”
Most people say something because silence feels like abandonment. But for someone grieving, presence matters far more than words. You don't need to fix it, explain it, or find the right phrase. You need to stay — to not leave because the grief is uncomfortable for you.
Your Practice
Say less than you think you should. Ask one open question: "Do you want to talk about them?" Then listen. Don't fill silence. Don't redirect. Don't offer perspective yet. The most useful thing you can do is let the person speak and feel witnessed. Show up consistently — once is not enough.
The Architects
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”
— Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning