“Those who know don’t talk. Those who talk don’t know.” — Lao Tzu
Grieving parents often hear too many words. People try to comfort, explain, or make sense of unimaginable loss. Many speak without understanding. Well-meaning words can sometimes feel like salt in an open wound. People who have not lived through this pain rarely grasp its depth. Grieving parents know silence holds more truth than clichés. The absence of words does not mean emptiness. The quiet of shared sorrow often carries the deepest understanding.
Grief teaches a language beyond words. A grieving parent recognizes it in another’s eyes. No explanation is needed. The weight behind the glance says everything. The soft nod of recognition can feel like a lifeline. True compassion does not rush to fix or advise. True compassion sits quietly, offering presence without pressure. The deepest empathy often arrives without a single word. Grief transforms us into quiet knowers. That quiet knowing becomes a gift we offer each other.
Speaking less does not mean we care less. Many grieving parents speak fewer words because the pain runs so deep. Words can feel too fragile to hold such sorrow. The desire to protect others from our pain often leads to silence. But our silence contains wisdom. That quiet wisdom can comfort others in ways louder voices cannot. The quiet ones carry sacred knowledge. That knowledge does not need to be explained—it only needs to be shared in presence.
Thought for today: Honor the wisdom in silence. Let your quiet presence speak for the grief too deep for words.