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Hi Chardz2000,
First of all I just want to thank you for posting and I’m so glad to hear that you are reaching out for guidance to help your best friend who is obviously going through a very difficult period of grief – You seem like a beautiful person and your friend is lucky to have you.
It can be challenging to know what to say to someone who is grieving out of fear of saying the wrong thing, but just by being there for support and willing to help, being open, compassionate, and being present will offer that support. Grief can last from anywhere from a few weeks to a number of years so it is important to let your friend know that you are there for them, as it is important for people who are grieving to know that they have a support network around them that they can rely on and know will listen to them during these incredibly hard moments of grief.
From the extract of the text you have shared with us it seems that your friend is really struggling. This can be difficult for us as supporters to watch a friend go through and navigate such a difficult moment in their lives, and so finding the right words to say to support them can be tricky. Sometimes the best thing we can do is to simply listen and validate their emotions and grief. This way we are letting them lead the conversation whilst we hold back on giving advice.
I wonder if you have come across one of our pages we offer from our Griefline website? This is a great reference point that will help and give some advice on how to support your grieving friend. It talks about finding your support style that is best for you in supporting your friend as well as some conversation guidelines, as conversations about loss can often be difficult to navigate. It also gives you some great conversation starters as well and some assistance in finding the right words to say. I have attached the link to this page for you to access here:
Supporting a Grieving Friend: Having Courageous Conversations
I do hope that this can be of some use to you!
Lastly, I just want to make sure that you are okay as well, and to make sure that you are taking the time you need to take care of yourself as well.
I hope this post helps and all the best in supporting your friend as she travels through this difficult moment in her life.