“We’re all just walking each other home.”
~ Ram Dass

Being there for someone is one of the most human things we can do. When a person we know and care for experiences a loss in their life, it is common, and certainly appropriate, that we respond with compassion… and presence. This loss might be the death of a loved one. It may also be a significant illness or other tribulation a loved one is going through at a particular time. In either case, the person we care about is suffering, and we have the opportunity to support them in their time of grief.

Rarely, if ever, can we alleviate the pain of another person. Grief is a solitary journey. Each of us grieves in our own way and in our own time. No one else can do our grieving for us. With that said, we do have the ability (responsibility?) to walk with a grieving person. We can be there for them, or be there with them, to remind them that they are not alone. We’ve all been there. We know the pain.

I was reminded of this reality when my Mom died. I was overwhelmed with the support I received from family and friends who had walked their own journey of grief before me. They could understand what I was experiencing. They empathized with me, because they’d been there. I appreciated their presence and support more than I can say.

Those of us who have grieved the loss of a loved one have much to offer to those experiencing a similar loss in their own life. We may feel that we don’t know exactly what to say, but that’s okay. Quite often, nothing at all needs to be said. Just to be there with and for that person is sufficient. Just as others walked with us in our time of grief, we, too, can ease the burden of others through our compassionate presence and concern.

It’s true. We are all just walking each other home.