Can You Prepare for Loss?

Knowing how to be effectively supportive is a skill, and skills can be learned. You don’t have to feel helpless in the face of someone’s pain (no matter what that pain is). 

Why do we practice fire drills? We practice so that, in the event of an emergency, the skills we need are not new. We practice so that we already know what to do if a fire breaks out, and we’re not trying to learn something new in an emergency. 

The same is true for knowing how to show up for each other when life gets difficult. Through practice on lower-stakes events, we learn how to recognize and respond to pain in everyday life.  Support and validation becomes normal - the new situation may be daunting, but the skills are familiar. 

This video is a clip from the documentary SPEAKING GRIEF, now available to watch at the Speaking Grief Resource Hub.

• You've got questions about grief. Sign up for Megan’s once a month grief support group calls, where you'll get answers to your questions about grief, meet other grieving people, and learn what to say to well-meaning people who just. don't. get. it.
• You want to explore your losses through writing. The original Writing Your Grief course is a place to let YOUR grief take up all the space it needs, no matter what that grief entails. Get started here.
• Get customized, text-based tips through Help Texts. Want customized support for yourself, AND tips for your friends and family so they can support you better? Use code megandevine to get $10 off.