*Below is an excerpt from a Facebook post I wrote earlier today.

Good morning.

I am posting a link that explains about “complicated mourning” in the event of a sudden, accidental or traumatic death.

The link: Resources for Complicated Mourning

Speaking for myself, I would like people to feel comfortable bringing up this topic, and, at the same time I would like people to have at least a cursory understanding about how to relate to someone who has lost someone like this.

One of the insights found in the article is that survivors who experience a traumatic death of someone close to them almost immediately feel that everything they have been up to is trivial or even frivolous. So, perhaps this is one of those times in a person’s life when gentle encouragement to continue on with their own lives and interests can be pretty helpful.

Maybe you can ask me what I’ve been up to this past year.

If we run into each other somewhere, please feel free to acknowledge my experience (sorry for your loss), and give yourselves permission not to pursue a longer conversation if you are not comfortable doing so.

I will understand.