Of love and loss...

You may have noticed that I have "gone dark" the past few days. There was a death in our family and I've been out of town. The wonderful experience of being taken care of by so many friends and family have inspired me to write a post about it! When a friend is going through the loss of a loved one, I have often wondered what to say and what to do. Well, here are a few things that people have done for our family that I found particularly helpful and thoughtful, so I'm passing them along to you.

• Bring practical items to the family such as coffee, creamer, napkins, paper cups and plates, and yes, even toilet paper!
• Make a donation to a worthy cause in lieu of flowers.
• When you send food, put it into disposable containers.
• Don't feel like you have to say anything at all- a hug will do just fine.
• Offer to do dishes or take out trash.
• Offer to watch children for parents to go to the funeral or run errands.