The best thing you can do for someone facing illness or death is support them…..your words may be all you can give and words are what stay with us the longest. It’s so important to know what to say and how to say it so you can be the kind of friend, relative, colleague or neighbor that you want to be. You’ll find information on coping with loss, what to say and do for someone ill or bereaved, lists of appropriate things to say, suggestions of what not to say, listening techniques, guidelines for visiting someone who is ill, lists of things to do for someone who is ill, sample letters and emails for someone who is ill, what to say and do following a death, how to help the bereaved, sample sympathy notes, funeral customs of different faiths, and more.
"Ms. Kaplan's starting point is that support is always appropriate. Careful listening can be more helpful than gilded sentiments." -- Dallas Morning News
"Words as a balm." -- Chicago Tribune
ASK AMY recommends: "For more information and inspiration, read ‘How to Say It When You Don’t Know What to Say.’" -- Washington Post
"Ms. Kaplan's starting point is that support is always appropriate. Careful listening can be more helpful than gilded sentiments." -- Dallas Morning News
"Words as a balm." -- Chicago Tribune
ASK AMY recommends: "For more information and inspiration, read ‘How to Say It When You Don’t Know What to Say.’" -- Washington Post
