What to say to a grieving parent.
My 11-year-old son, Micah, died 5 years ago of complications from kidney failure. I wrote this just 5 months after he died, and only changed it a little to share it now. If some these comments seem stark or harsh at times remember they were written from the perspective of someone who recently lost his son, and that if you are talking to a grieving parent they may have similar raw emotions. The other grieving parents that I have met sure did. Here are some things that people said that helped and some that didn't. 1. Say you are sorry for their loss. This is almost certainly true, because almost everyone is really sorry to hear of a child dying, so you can say it sincerely and it is received sincerely. Also, you can stop here if you want. Unless you really want to go deeper and enter into the grief, you don't have to go any further. That is enough. 2. Ask about their child (or any loved one who has died). What was he or she like? I love talking about Micah. I don...