Finding the right words to encourage a friend or loved one to cope with grief can be challenging.
Unfortunately, the people we love may eventually or unexpectedly go to the next world without us. When this happens, the grief you feel can be the hardest you face in your life. You need as much support and positive energy as possible at this difficult time. Here are twenty quotes and words to encourage anyone coping with a loss.
20 Words to Encourage You in Your Time of Grieving
Let these quotes do the talking–they might be just the right phrases.
1. “In the garden of memory, in the palace of dreams…that is where you and I shall meet.” ~ Lewis Carol
Even though the person is gone from this physical world, they are not entirely gone. They still live in our memories and our dreams. We can meet them again in our heads whenever we want. We can also see them in our favorite light. While it may be a romanticized version of the person we lost, it is a great way to keep them with us. We can also get these memories from pictures and our truths.
2. “God gave us memories so that we may have roses in December.” ~ J.M. Barrie
Memories can be powerful. Too often, people hold on to negative memories. However, negative memories are only going to hurt us even more. We may not be able to control how often we think of the person we miss, but we can try to focus on the good times and the good memories. Even through the sadness, those positive memories can help get us through.
3. “There are no happy endings.
Endings are the saddest part,
So just give me a happy middle
And a very happy start.” ~ Shel Silverstein
This child’s poet explains death in straightforward terms. While it’s sad to end a relationship through death, it is part of the cycle of life. Luckily, we had the middle and beginning. We should remember those times. We should forget the ending to the best of our ability.
4. “I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien
Some people who are grieving try their hardest not to cry. They don’t want to embarrass themselves or burden others with their struggles. However, it’s important to understand that crying is perfectly OK. Your tears are not a burden, and it’s healthy to express your feelings at this time.
5. “Loss does not change you… it reveals you.” ~ John Green
Many people say that they come out of losing a family member a completely different person. On the contrary, Green suggests that the process only exposes who you truly are. There is no time to lie or sugarcoat things during a loss. Hopefully, the process exposes a good side to everybody involved, and you all use words to encourage each other.
6. “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” ~ C. S Lewis
What is the true cause of the pain when you experience loss? Many people don’t realize how closely the emotion is related to fear. Without the other person, you may feel like you’ve lost your support or your reason to live. You may be afraid about facing the rest of your life alone.
7. “Without you in my arms, I feel an emptiness in my soul. I find myself searching the crowds for your face – I know it’s an impossibility, but I cannot help myself.” ~ Nicholas Sparks
People often struggle to face the reality of someone leaving this world. While they know it’s impossible, they may still look for the face of the person they miss. Maybe this is all a horrible dream. Unfortunately, that face will never show up ever again.
8. “So it’s true, when all is said and done, loss is the price we pay for love.” ~ E.A. Bucchianeri
Love is a fantastic emotion. Whether it’s toward a lover, parent, or child, it’s the reason we wake up every morning. Naturally, something this good has to have a cost. Loss and the way we feel when someone is taken from us is the charge for all of that joy.
9. “To weep is to make less the depth of grief.” ~ Shakespeare
If The Bard says it, we must listen. Shakespeare tells us that when we cry, the pain we feel lessens. The activity of crying and expressing our sadness can help us heal. Express yourself at therapy, a support group, or with friends. You can also take after Shakespeare and describe your feelings by writing about your experience. You will write your own words to encourage yourself and others. You can also paint or write music. Whatever helps, express yourself.
10. “Grief can be a burden, but also an anchor. You get used to the weight, how it holds you in place.” ~ Sarah Dessen
Believe it or not, losing a loved one can make things in life more clear. After such a tragedy, many people see the world in a different light. Many times, certain things get put in to place. You may find what grounds you as a person.
11. “My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today.” ~ Richard Adams
You are not alone. There are thousands upon thousands of other people who have suffered, too. That means there are thousands upon thousands of people to lean on when you want additional support. These people understand your pain in a natural way. Many of them have moved on to live full and happy lives. You can see for yourself that it is possible.
12. “The whole world can become the enemy when you lose what you love.” ~ Kristina McMorris
After a tragic loss, a person may feel attacked and distrustful of people. You should focus on words to encourage them to help them feel softer and connected to other people.
13. “No matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn’t stop for your grief.” ~ Faraaz Kazi
It’s sad but true. When you suffer a loss, the world continues while you go through it. You have to do your best to keep up with everything while also taking care of your mental health.
14. “Absence is a house so vast that inside you will pass through its walls and hang pictures on the air.” ~Pablo Neruda
When you lose a loved one, the emptiness is larger than anything you’ve felt before. You can’t escape it. Use words to encourage you to escape the emptiness for a while.
15. “Now I know that loss is a whetstone that sharpens all your love, all your happiest memories, into blades that tear you apart from within.” ~ Claudia Gray
Even the best memories can be painful after a loss. It becomes abundantly apparent that you will never experience those memories ever again. These thoughts that you can’t escape keep replaying in your head. Each one slowly kills you. The only hope is that the pain gets less with time.
16. “It is foolish to tear one’s hair in grief, as though sorrow would be made less by baldness.” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero
Suffering can make people feel not only down but also self-destructive. Some people take their emotions out on themselves in many unhealthy ways.
For instance, some people will drink too much or take drugs. Other people will cut themselves. Others yet will hide from the world. None of these destructive behaviors lessens the pain. It only hurts us more.
Read to learn why talking to your loved one is okay as you mourn their loss.
17. “You believe you could not live with the pain. Such pain is not lived with. It is only endured. I am sorry.” ~ Erin Morgenstern
When suffering from a loss, it’s hard to look at life similarly. Unfortunately, this forces some people to exist merely instead of truly living and enjoying life. While it’s unfortunate, it’s part of the process of grieving. With time, they should find joy again.
18. “No journey out of grief was straightforward. There would be good days and bad days.” ~ Jojo Moyes
You may think that the pain is over. However, it might just be on hold. Expect each day to be different. Hopefully, you’ll start to have more good days than bad days.
19. “Each of us has his rhythm of suffering.” ~ Roland Barthes
People express their pain in different ways. Some people are more expressive about it than others. Some people do things that other people wouldn’t do. Use words to encourage each other instead of arguing over who handles the situation best. You’re both in pain.
20. “The only way to end grief was to go through it.” ~ Holly Black
This process is one of those things that you must go through for it to start going away. You need to allow yourself to feel the pain, fear, and loneliness you feel.
Final Thoughts: May These Quotes Encourage and Strengthen You as You Face Your Grief
These twenty quotes and words to encourage you won’t be able to make you feel 100% better. That may never happen at all. However, do what you can to give yourself that boost you need to get you through. Nothing can bring them back, but you can be happy again one day. Remember them fondly and create new memories.
