Relationships

While there are many things you can do to help people through the pain of their grief, there are also things that don't help at all--and that could even be hurtful. Here are some thoughts on things it's best not to do.

One of the biggest roles many of us play in life is that of spouse, and the loss of a spouse is considered one of life's most traumatic events. It's very possible to take two to four years to recover, although there's no set timeline for grieving and recovery. Even those who appear to recover quickly may continue to grieve deeply for some time.

What can you do to help your parent through his or her grief when a spouse dies? This is one of the major losses in life, but there are things you can do to help.

Acceptance--Be accepting and supportive of the new person your parent becomes in the wake of this devastating loss. Support him or her in new ventures and new friendships. Your parent must find a new way to live, and build a new life for himself or herself.

A profound sense of loss is felt at the death of a loved one, whether that death is sudden or expected. There is no set pattern to grief. Some people grieve for a short time while others may never fully recover from their loss. Some won't experience their grief until some time later. There is no one right way to grieve. As each of us is unique, so too is our grief.