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5 things to do when you lose someone you love

Victoria Cairl
3 min readSep 13, 2020

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It’s been a tough year and losing someone you love can be harder than ever.

After losing someone I love this week rather suddenly, I didn’t know what to do.

There is always the shock when someone dies suddenly but I feel as though the pandemic has made all of us even more socially awkward and within good reason. We can’t all get together to toast someone in person in many cases. We can’t travel as far and, in some cases, we are barred from going to the place where our loved one died. Even a funeral is not what it once was.

On the other hand, this entire year is one of loss for many of us. So, I thought writing all this down might be helpful to someone, maybe even me.

1) Support the ones they left behind- Remember the pain and loss you feel can’t compare to how those closest to them are feeling. Make this about taking care of those who need it most. If you can, drop off food or a card or a plant (as flowers die). And if you feel safe doing so, a hug is really priceless.

2) Show up to mourn in whatever way you can- If a funeral seems overwhelming or is impossible, try making visiting hours or attending Zoom memorial or celebration of their life. You owe it to that someone to pay respect and to tell those who loved them how much they meant to you. Not about doing anything public? Send a card or email and share a story about how you remember them to their family or…

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Victoria Cairl
Victoria Cairl

Written by Victoria Cairl

Writes about women and work and all else

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