The Comfortless Comforts

 

Seven Ways to Help Someone Struggling.  

The age old words of comfort just don’t cut it. Take it from me, I watched my mom die of cancer … slowly and painfully. I have a friend who survived brain cancer, one who lost her job and struggles to keep food on the table for her children, another who lost her sweet baby boy, many with heart-breaking miscarriages and another who lost her husband so very young. Life is damn hard. We are surrounded with struggles, pain, loss, and feelings of being overwhelmed. 

We were all trained to say silly things like God only gives you what you can handle, or She’s in a better place. Trust me, it isn’t helping. How those phrases translate to someone who is struggling is, stop feeling emotions, you’re not allowed. That, I am certain, isn’t how you want your friends and family to feel. 

As always, I come back to love, kindness and compassion. So lets start the change. Whether your friend just had a baby and they are exhausted, or they lost their mom, or struggling to make ends meet, the same simple things can change their day with acts of kindness.

1 Bring Toilet Paper. If something like a loss happened or a new baby and gobs of family is now visiting, bringing something like toilet paper can help your friend survive the unexpected company. Because lets face it, we all poop. 

2 Frozen Meals. Perfect for nearly all issues. Write with a marker what it is, the date and how to make it on the cover and drop off meals to help ease time constraints or help them when they don’t even have the will to eat. 

3 Clean the House. Many overwhelming situations can benefit from a little love and cleaning. Everyone could use a helping hand. If you can afford a gift this gracious, even once a week cleaning service for a month can change someones life by simply knocking something off the to-do-list that never seems to-be-done. 

4 Laundry. The endlessness of laundry is always a gracious way to show love of someone you know. Spend a couple hours washing, drying and folding laundry that simple task takes so much stress off.

5 Hugs. Always, always hug. Nothing in the world beats a hug. 

6 Offer to Take the Kiddos. Two free hours of babysitting so mom can take a break, a shower, go shopping whatever she need, can reset the stressed heart. 

7 Initiate Exercising. Exercise is huge for mental and physical health, but it is so hard to do yourself. If someone you love is struggling offer to workout with them. Its good for you and for them. 

Comments are closed.