How to Help A Widow
Resources for Supporters of Widows
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Resources for Supporters of Widows ⚘
“When we hold space for someone, we offer to be a container for the overwhelming feelings they may be encountering. But there is a discomfort that surrounds grief. It makes even the most well-intentioned people unsure of what to say. And so many of the freshly bereaved end up feeling even more alone.”
— Meghan O’Rourke
Do you find yourself exhausted, frustrated, overwhelmed or at a loss for how to help your widow friend?
Are you also grieving the death in addition to supporting the widow?
These are all normal reactions, and we encourage you not to feel bad or guilty. You are allowed to feel the grief yourself, and to also manage your own life.
However, there are some practical, straightforward guidelines for taking care of both yourself and your widowed friend or family member. Here we offer some links and resources to help you get started. Below, browse through our blog posts specifically for helpers.
Quick Tips for Helping
Encourage your friend or family member to contact us. She will receive a phone call and an invitation to connect to the Paisley Project community.
Read through the Blog Posts and information that we have offered to widows on this website. Educate yourself about what this experience may feel like to your loved one.
Read through our Blog Posts specifically for helpers on this website. It can give you some ideas of how to act or help when you’re unsure .
Watch “Brené Brown On Empathy”. What is the best way to ease someone's pain and suffering? In this beautifully animated RSA Short, Dr Brené Brown reminds us that we can only create a genuine empathic connection if we are brave enough to really get in touch with our own fragilities.
Read Lovely Tragic Miracle, by Karyl McKendry. It is the story of our founder’s own experience after the loss of her husband and also discusses the kinds of support she received and valued.
Send cards at regular intervals—at 3, 6, or 9 month, the anniversary of the death, birthdays of the lost spouse, wedding anniversaries. We like using Em and Friends.
Make a donation on behalf of your widowed friend or loved one.
Encourage her to join in on one of the Paisley Project events or workshops.
Blog Posts for Helpers
Join The Community
We have a private group feed for widows only. It’s a judgment-free safe space to connect, vent, or celebrate their experiences. Help your loved one connect with us today.
Support A Widow
Our mission is to provide essential tools and resources to support women to survive, heal, grow, and thrive after the loss of their husbands, while also mobilizing the widow’s own support network.
Paisley Project is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the state of Colorado.
All donations are tax-deductible.
EIN #47-1052225.