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Pat Schwiebert, RN
Grief Watch
What not to say to a grieving person
- Snap out of it
- It wasn’t meant to be
- You must be strong
- She lived a good life
- You must move on
- God will never give you more than you can handle
- I understand
- Be thankful you have other children
- It’s over with. Let’s not deal with it
- Get a hold of yourself
- Keep a stiff upper lip
- Pull yourself together
- Be strong for the children
- Get back on the horse again
- It was God’s will
- You can always have other children
- You’re young
- Maybe God is trying to teach you a lesson
- Others have it worse than you
- What did you do wrong?
- He wouldn’t have been healthy
- It is just nature’s way of dealing with a problem
Helpful things to say to a grieving person
- I’m so sorry to hear about your loss
- I can’t imagine what you are going thru. It must be unbearable.
- Sit down and tell me all about it.
- I don’t know what to say, but I’ll be glad to listen.
- How are you really feeling?
- What can I do to help?
(if you are caring for someone from a different culture ask “what would be happening if this happened…”
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