And the gifts keep coming 💙 My friends are truly amazing. I guess I already knew that they were fantastic, but it takes a tragedy to really see what we mean to people.
The first few days after Lauren's death we were inundated with food and alcohol. There was so much food that some had to go in the beer fridge (adding to the husbands distress!!).
We had to tell people to stop bringing food. Obviously not needing to go shopping for the first couple of weeks was a massive help, especially as we still had 2 children to feed. But people wanted to help & kept asking if we needed anything. The only thing we wanted couldn't be bought at a shop, so we were often at a loss at what to say.
This got me thinking about what things, other than wine, would be good to buy for someone who has suffered a loss.
So if you are grieving, or trying to help someone through their grief, these are the things that helped me. (If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know)
Berrocca (Some fluids other than alcohol)
Valerian Root Tea - before bed to help sleep
Dry Shampoo - obviously
Body Shop lightening Touch Concealer
Bath Bombs (I've never had so many baths)
Frankincense oil for my pillow
Magnesium tablets, invest in decent ones
But more importantly than all the "stuff" is the friendship I've been given, be it a boozy lunch, a WhatsApp, or a quick coffee, the thing that is helping me the most is my friends and family.
So if you know someone who is suffering, dont worry about what to say. You can't inadvertently say the wrong thing, the worst has already happened, you can't make it worse, but you can make it better by being there for them.
💙💙💙💙💙