As someone still navigating the fog of grief, people who check in, listen to your stories make a difference. Grieving, while universal, can be so solitary. Many days I find myself unable to reach out. I appreciate friends who reach through & despite the fog—it’s not an easy task. https://twitter.com/aarickawash/status/1385054284161630211

My advice to those hesitating to check in with their grieving friends: just do it. Ask how they are, if they’ve bee eaten/resting/taking their time. I understand it can be frightening because sometimes we don’t feel emotionally equipped to handle other people’s feelings...

...esp if they are in deep grief. We second guess ourselves if we can give l emotional support. Under a pandemic where everyone is in a state of grief, it is very understandable. So check in w/ yourself first. And you don’t have to assume the role of a therapist. Just be there.

We all have different ways and waves of grief. Some can function through it, but suffer alone in their darkest moments. Some feel perpetually lost. Personally I find myself stumped by the question: Until when can I keep grieving?

And for friends, family of a grieving person: Until when is he/she in grief and until when should I offer comfort? I think my answer is, once grief arrives, it is perpetual; it can change in form or size but as long as it is rooted in love, then it will forever remain.