Q:   Hi Nina, my daughter’s best friend recently passed away.  She seems to be handling it quite well, but I on the other hand am having a very difficult time.  How do I support my child through this while I am dealing with grief as well? I don’t want to upset her because of how I’m feeling.

A:  I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter’s friend.  It’s a heartbreaking situation, however it’s important to grieve and more importantly to grieve in front of your daughter. Keep in mind that everyone grieves differently so while it may look on the surface that your daughter is handling it well, she may be bottling it all up.  She may even be trying to keep a stiff upper lip for you.

I would talk to your daughter about how both of you are feeling so you can support one another and get professional support.  I know from my own experience of grief, talking to those around me who were grieving as well made me feel I was not alone and what I was feeling was okay.   Also do something to honour the memory of her friend, which is something positive that you can work on together and will allow you to remember them in a positive way.

It’s my honour to serve you! God Bless!

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Email me at nina@theapostropheproject.com

Nina Ganguli is a Change Agent, Certified Professional Life Coach and Author of the book: Confessions of a Can’t-aholic: How to go from “I Can’t” to “I Can!”

For more about Nina Ganguli check out her website: www.theapostropheproject.com

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