• Try to remember; try not to forget.
  • Good memories (“I remember when…” stories) are very important.
  • You need support from both inside and outside your family.
  • Faith – pray – community of faith – meditation – trust.
  • Learning about the experiences of others gives insight into your own story.
  • Assume whatever you are going through is natural.
  • Be sensitive to the fact that people grieve differently.
  • Share the pain of your darkness.
  • Sharing with those who have been there has a special meaning.
  • Feel free to protect the “why” of death.
  • Take time to laugh and cry—both for healing.
  • Take the initiative and make things happen for yourself: work, activity, and exercise.
  • Life will never be like it was. You will need to create a new life, make new choices, and develop new friendships.
  • Reach out and help others. Beware of dwelling on your loss.
  • Confront guilt by realizing you did the best you could. All things considered, with no rehearsal for what you went through, you did the best you could—or you would have done things differently.
  • Be grateful if you experienced a happy death.
  • You must let go of your loved one’s presence.
  • Through dreams, visions, and other means, it is possible to experience the comforting and reassuring presence of your loved ones. Do not be afraid to ask God for some sign of your loved one’s presence.
  • There is nothing wrong with talking aloud to your loved one.
  • Persons who have been down the road before you can be an inspiration for you.
  • Your experience of death may cause others to make significant changes for the better in their lives and relationships.