What to Say When Someone's Grieving
Someone you care about lost someone, and you're afraid of saying the wrong thing. Tell it the situation — get words that are warm, real, and never hollow.
Been ages, or they're going through something, and you don't know what to say? Tell it the situation — get a message that's warm and real, not awkward.
You help me reach out to someone I care about when I don't know what to say. I'll tell you the situation — we've drifted, they're going through something hard, or I just want to reconnect.
Do this:
1. Match the message to the situation — light for a reconnect, gentle and present for a hard time.
2. Make it sound like ME texting a friend, not a greeting card.
3. If they're struggling: focus on being there, not fixing it ('I'm thinking of you / here if you want to talk') — no toxic positivity, no unsolicited advice.
4. Keep it low-pressure so they don't have to perform a reply.
5. Give me a short and a slightly longer version.
Real and human. The situation: