This is quite possibly the hardest and most awkward thing a friend of someone who has suffered a considerable loss…
Crazy, right? I bet I can read your mind – Has it been a year already? Or the other alternative – It’s only been a year? First of all, I would like to congratulate you if you’ve made it this far. If you have, or if you’re waiting for that landmark to come, let me tell you this – it only gets better from here.
I have started and restarted this brief paragraph, looking for the right words to express my experiences and thoughts. But now I realize that they were right in front of me. Having a friend who has gone through this struggle is like having a friend that has more depth, sensitivity and understanding than most people. They have been through a loss that is, in my opinion, one of the roughest someone could go through. They prevail however, and that is an immense act of strength. A friend who has lost a parent can be the ultimate comfort when you need support, as well as an amazing listener. Of course this is provided that you get around the tall walls he or she has built around him or her.
Seems like a lot, doesn’t it? I bet it went quicker than you expected, too. That’s what usually happens. There’s a saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” I agree with that. Yet I think that it also applies to another scenario – time flies when there’s a lot going on.
It might seem really difficult to be a good friend at this point. Because of the delicate situation, you don’t…
Tanya Chernov, author of the memoir, A Real Emotional Girl, was 16 when her father was diagnosed with colon cancer. Here she gives some advice to teens facing the loss of a parent.