Welcome to the House of Hope! I want to share something with you on grieving the loss of a loved one. My Dear Brother in Christ Dr. Joe Fawcett recently lost his wife to cancer. Joe shared this with me on grieving....... Hello, this is Joe. Since Louann went to Heaven on November 2, 2019 – people may want to ask me, “Joe, how are you doing?” But the reality is that most really don’t know what to ask me or what to say to me or anyone who is grieving the loss of a spouse. So, here’s what I need for you to know that I’ve learned from the weekly gathering I’ve been attending called GriefShare: • If you knew her, please talk to me about Louann. • Be a quiet listener and let me talk about Louann and share memories. • Ignoring my grief does not make it go away. • If I’m sad, let me be sad. Don’t try to cheer me up. It’s important for me to feel the emotions I’m feeling. • Sometimes it may appear that I’m functioning fine and that I’m doing well. Understand that outward appearances can be deceiving. More likely I’m crying on the inside. • Don’t make comments about next year being better or time healing my deep wounds; my concerns are focused on the here and now. • Understand that I can’t do everything I used to do in the past, but don’t hesitate to invite me to do things anyway. If I can’t go it may be due to my schedule or it may be due to me just needing to be alone at that time. • Let me cry if I need to. Yes, grieving men do cry, we even weep. You don’t have to say anything – just hand me tissues and be there for me. • Understand that grief can go on for a number of years. There’s no established time limit. I do pray that the Lord will shorten the process. Regardless, I trust Him. • Please don’t make judgments about how long it’s taking me to grieve. • If your loved one has passed, I’d love to talk to you about the similar things we’ve experienced and are experiencing right now.