Coping with friends family and social situations

One of a series of leaflets published by The Compassionate Friends However, some families appear permanently fractured. Still, it could be that after years – even decades – there will be peace. Our family may yet come back together in a new form. "Just days after our son died overseas, my father wrote me an email telling me to hurry up with his funeral. I think this was because my dad had been through some horrific things in the army, but I found it very hard to forgive him." Friends and others As bereaved parents we often find that our friendships shift in unexpected ways after we lose our child. Sadly, even some of our closest friends end up disappointing us, but other people - perhaps ones we barely know - show unexpected kindness and consideration. We might on occasion have to make some hard decisions about who we keep in touch with. If someone is particularly hurtful, we may need to pause or our relationship with them for the sake of our own well-being. This again is another good reason for spending time with other bereaved parents, whether in person or online. We won’t have to explain things amongst those who are similarly bereaved. We are speaking the same language of grief. This can be a welcome relief. More ideas for coping with other people Answering “how are you?” Most of us find that it depends on who is asking, where and when, bearing in mind that not everyone who asks really wants an answer. “How are you” is often merely a greeting.