There are seasons when it feels like too much has happened too close together.
When our community loses people we love, especially young people, grief can show up in many ways. Some of us want to talk. Some go quiet. Some keep moving because stopping feels impossible. Young people may seem fine one moment and deeply affected the next.
There is no right way to grieve, and there is no timeline for it.
What we can offer each other is presence. A text that says, “I’m thinking of you.” A meal left at the door. A ride. A quiet check-in. The willingness to listen without trying to make pain smaller or solve it too quickly.
For parents and caregivers, it can help to make room for simple, honest conversation:
- “How are you doing with everything that has happened?”
- “You do not have to have the right words.”
- “I’m here to listen, even if you do not know what you need.”
- “Who else feels safe to talk to right now?”
It is also okay to name what you do not know. “I do not have an answer, but we can stay with this together” can be a powerful thing for a young person to hear.
Grief may bring sadness, anger, confusion, numbness, worry, or even moments of laughter and relief. None of those reactions means someone is grieving incorrectly. What matters is helping young people know they do not have to carry hard things alone.
At Live Like Sam, we believe we are more alike on the inside than we often show on the outside. In a difficult season, that can be an invitation to lead with compassion, check on one another, and be gentle with ourselves too.
If you or someone you love is in immediate emotional distress or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24 hours a day.
Reading & Support
- 988 Lifeline: Support for Loss Survivors
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Talking to Your Child About a Suicide Death
You don’t have to know exactly what to say to let someone know they matter.