Five Simple Steps to Offer Support
Date: Tuesday, July 13 @ 22:06:51 PDT
Topic: Home
“When speaking with someone going through a difficult experience communications need not be elaborate to make a difference.” Robbie Miller Kaplan offers five tips to ease the experience.
1. Write a note to share your sadness, feelings, or memories and let the recipient know they are in your thoughts and prayers.
2. Bring a meal. Ask if there are food restrictions, allergies, or dietary guidelines but if you can’t find this information, deliver a container of home-made soup, a platter of sandwiches, a vegetarian casserole, or quick bread (i.e., banana bread); label with ingredients, shelf life, and heating / freezing instructions. Something homemade will warm their spirits and their soul.
3. Make contact before going to the grocery store, pharmacy, hardware store, or post office to see if there are errands to run.
4. Provide transportation to hospital, physician, treatment, or professional appointments or volunteer to transport loved ones arriving from out of town.
5. Offer to answer the telephone, make telephone calls, provide updates, or just stay at the home for an hour to handle the telephone and deliveries.
Robbie Miller Kaplan, author of "How to Say It When You Don't Know What to
Say: The Right Words for Difficult Times" and "How to Say It In Your Job
Search" (Prentice Hall Press). For more information, see
www.wordsthatcomfort.com.
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