How do you deal with a friend or family members untimely death?

you try to be strong for the weaker ones,deal with at the time and grieve later in private is what idid when i lost my mother suddenly.had a wedding to go thru,which was mine just 30 days later ,in her church,on her preachers pulpit where her casket sat 30 days earlier,that was the second hardest thing i had to deal with besides having to put father in nursing home 3 yrs earlier and him dying 2 wks later, all this in 3 yrs.you survive,but dont forget.it does get easier ,GOD never gives us more than we can handle,but he does test you sometime.its been 15 yrs. for dad and 13 yrs. for mom and it still feels like yesterday.i do thank GOD for that man i married those 13 yrs ago ,he did not know my father and briefly knew my mother but he was there when i needed him.thank you for this oppertunity to answer this ? i think i needed this as much as you.talk to a friend or pasture or some one who would understand,it does help. good luck and GOD bless.

Thank you Jean. God bless you too.

I borrowed this from the Mayo clinics website:

Grief in bereavement is a universal human experience that is handled in different ways by different people. The nature of the relationship that you have with the person you have lost, the quality of the relationship, the time you have to prepare for the loss and your own personality all play major roles in the grieving process.

There are no set rules or standards for what is healthy in grief. Some people may be frequently tearful, and others may deal with loss in other ways of remembrance.

Most people need no formal treatment for bereavement. But there are therapies that can help with resolving loss if you find that you need additional help. Although it's important to keep in mind that you need time and space to grieve in your own way, it's also important to be able to take advantage of behavioral therapies that can help you cope and re-establish a sense of control and direction in your life — if grieving becomes complicated and protracted.

The grieving process is very personal, commands respect, and requires time and sometimes professional assistance to achieve its own resolution.

Hope this helps

Jeff

Thank you Jeff.

Asha,

I will not say it is easy,it is problaly the hardest thing you will ever go through. I lost my husband, he had been sick,and I saw him become someone that I did not know.  Our son was 16 at the time, and his dad was his hero, best friend seeing his dad like that was hard on him as well.  When my husband did pass away, I thought my life had ended along with his. I realized that I needed to be strong for our son, to do things (even if I did not feel like it) to make his life easier.  I used to tell my son (and still do on the anniversary of his death) that he should look up at the night sky and find the brighest star and say "hi dad". I sadly have lost my mom, dad, aunt, 2 cousins in the last 10 years, and with each passing, I wonder if I could have done something,been a better daughter, cousin, or wife and the answer that I get is  No, I was the best!  Remember to take care of yourself, because if you get sick who will look after your family? Breathe, Breathe (life Faith Hill's song).  May God Bless you and keep you strong!

Cindy