“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” — Oprah Winfrey
Grief often isolates parents who have lost a child. Many grieving parents feel misunderstood by friends and family who mean well. The heaviness of grief can make ordinary conversations feel foreign. People sometimes avoid speaking about the child, thinking silence will ease the pain. That silence can hurt more than words ever could. Healing does not come from pretending our children never existed. Healing grows when we are seen and held with compassion. The right people do not fix us. The right people honor our sorrow without judgment.
Grieving parents deserve spaces that feel safe. Pain cannot always be spoken, but presence matters. People who lift us higher sit with us in the darkness. Those people may not have the right words. People who care do not rush our grief. Some people will disappear, and that absence may sting. The people who stay often surprise us. Some bonds deepen in sorrow. New connections form with others who truly understand the weight of loss. Grief changes who we need. Grief teaches us to choose carefully.
Support does not mean endless cheerfulness. Genuine support respects our sadness. The best companions in grief walk beside us quietly. A grieving parent does not need advice. A grieving parent needs respect, patience, and space to speak freely. Surrounding ourselves with kind people becomes a form of protection. Every moment spent with someone who lifts us is healing. That healing may be slow, but it matters. Every kind word becomes a small light. Every loving presence becomes a ladder out of loneliness.
Thought for today: Choose one person who honors your grief. Let that connection be part of your healing today.