How does losing a sibling differ from losing a friend or another family member?
A sibling, more than anyone else, is someone we expect to be around for the entirety of our life. Sharing the same history, the same family culture, and the same generation are significant as you face the future. You can make new friends and you can make new family members (through marriage and birth), but you cannot make a new sibling. You lose that person for the entirety of your life. But I think all different kinds of losses (divorce, physical debilitation, other deaths, infertility, etc.) share an emotional journey that can help illuminate the path for others, regardless of the kind or severity of the loss they experience. Grief is not a competition but an opportunity to help heal together. Is there any one thing that your family or friends did for you that assisted you through the grieving process? (i.e. a special card someone sent you, a favorite place they took you, etc.) Honest, connecting conversations were very helpful to me. If someone says, “I don’t know what to say, but I
