Support After the Funeral

Support for the Family

When someone dies, friends rally around the family. The family is often incredibly busy planning the funeral or services. Everyone is calling, writing, offering sympathy. But after the chaos of the funeral and other ceremonies and services, mourners must adjust to life without the honoree. Two, three, six months later a surviving spouse or child needs you.

If you are close to the family, call them. Invite him or her for dinner. Include them in your social plans. They may not feel like joining you at first, but they may when they're ready.

Your friend needs your support. As Letitia Baldrige, author of New Manners for New Times: A Complete Guide to Etiquette, points out, "Nothing is more difficult to accept nor more absolute than death. It's the time when heart counts more than anything else in this world. It's not the cost of the huge bouquet someone sent to the funeral that matters to the grieving family; it's the warmth of your words that counts and your promise to 'be around to help - always'."

Remember to check our Heart2Soul Community to see if the family has created a page for the honoree. There, you can also stay up to date on service information or provide support by leaving a message for the family or uploading photographs.