Unfortunately, no matter how happy and tight the family unit, they will one day lose one of their cherished relatives. It’s a fact of life, a sad one, but one that we have to deal with appropriately. Losing a parent can be a tragic event for anyone to have to cope with, and can leave us feeling empty for a while. This is a natural response to loss.
If the parent is one your spouse's side of the family, it can be difficult to know how to best help them through the grieving process. This is a time that no one can have the perfect mental preparation for, but it is one that can be mitigated in sorrow and loss if it’s handled right.
As a partner, you have a deep relationship and understanding of your spouse’s needs. It’s your job to be that emotional bedrock that allows your partner to help process their feelings, and communicate their thoughts.
But if you’ve never played this role before, it can be hard to figure out how to best achieve these aims. This list is here to help you.
Communicate
The first and golden rule to best help with this process is to communicate. Talking is a therapy in itself, and allowing your partner to articulate to you their thoughts and feelings is of tremendous beneficial help to them. Don’t think you need to interject with advice or even a take on the situation. Just lend them an ear and tell them you understand. Sometimes that is enough. Be who you’d want to be with if the roles were reversed.
Give Them Space
If your spouse chooses not to communicate for a time, that should be okay too. If they habitually withdraw from marital discussion, that’s not healthy and it’s worth discussing. However, you should be prepared for them to isolate themselves or want to attend hobbies on their own for a time.
Give them the space they need to come to terms with what has happened. It’s tempting as a spouse to desire to smother your partner with love and affection when something like this happens, but this can be unhelpful. Just quietly let them know you accept that they need their own space and that you’re more than willing to talk at any hour of the day or night if they so require.
Help With The Funeral Arrangements
Funerals are often difficult to arrange when you’re suffering from emotional turmoil, so helping your spouse with their arrangements is of huge benefit to them. Use a professional service like About The Funeral so you’re guided through the process smoothly.
Help Them Communicate With Your Kids
Talking to your children openly and frankly about what has happened will allow them to understand to a degree if their parent is withdrawn or short-tempered with them. It doesn’t pay to hide things like this from the children because honesty is always important in a family unit.
To summarize, you need to accept their emotions at every stage of their grief and recovery and let them know that it’s okay not to be okay. Be that bedrock, and one day they’re likely to do the same for you. It’s always a tragedy when someone in your family unit passes away, but it can be accepted with quiet and dignified resignation if you have the right attitude.
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