1. Less is more. Don’t drone on an on by giving a long winded talk just keep it simple and to the point. You are less likely to have slip of the tongue and say something off-color.
2. Don’t say: “They’re in a better place now” or “It was God will”. Do say: “My condolences to you and your family” or “I’m sorry for your loss”.
Even though the individual may believe in God, tragedy is hard to put into perspective so soon. So it’s best to say something like “I’m praying for you and your family”.
3. When talking with the person, it perfectly fine to reminisce about a special or light-hearted moment that can bring upon laughter. People tend to enjoy talking ablaut good memories, it lifts their spirits.
4. When you offer to help do so by actually saying what you can do. Anything from picking up relative s from the airport to transporting flowers to the memorial service is a great way of helping. Here are some other ways to help: - Offer to watch or tend to small children. - Taking older children out for a short while to give the family a break - Tidy up their house (ask first people can be territorial). - Run simple errands - Bring supplies such as food, beverages and paper products such as paper towels and toilet paper (some of the first items to go when you have a lot of people in the house).
