This is a delicate subject and certainly one that has to be handled with care because People react differently when there's a death in the Family.
As a Nurse for many years I've encounter People who have lost loved ones and there is a difference in their reactions so the best thing to do is to take our lead from them.
Some may not want to talk, it's o.
k.
to ask them if they do want to talk but if they say no then we should respect that.
Just sit quietly with them they will start a conversation maybe not about the death but they will talk and when they do just talk to them about what they brought up.
The first stage a Person experiences after a death of a loved one is shock.
Even if it's expected, when it happen there is still shock so the Person may be trying to get a grip on the reality and need a little time to adjust so we should let them know that we are there for them and just wait.
We would think that crying is the first thing that a Person would do after a death but this is not always true some don't.
I do believe that crying is a form of release but everyone is not ready.
If they don't cry let them know that it's o.
k.
and if they do, it is still o.
k.
men are generally the ones to hold back the tears because I suppose they think it's not the manly thing to do but they need the comfort more so than Women because of that thing they have.
A good thing to do for them is to tell them that it's o.
k.
to cry and then leave the room for a few minutes, they would appreciate the privacy.
When we return to the room, even if we see red eyes don't bring it up unless they do.
Children seem to hurt the most especially if the lost is a Parent and we hurt for them.
We would want to try and comfort them by telling them that their Mom or Dad is watching over them but we shouldn't do that because the Bible say that absent from the body means present before the Lord so our loved ones are not watching over us but God is.
What we should do is to encourage them by letting them know that they are not alone and there are other Family members that love them.
We should let them know that their Parent loved them and that they will be alright.
Children can handle more than we realize sometimes so we should just be honest with them and care for them.
We should do everything possible to make it easier for them; they will appreciate it in the long run.