I am absolutely terrible at accepting sympathy and compassion from others, which proved to be very inconvenient in a time where I desperately needed to feel loved and embraced. Every person will grieve differently, and my penchant for grieving in isolation made it pretty difficult for my loved ones to reach out. A few gestures that resonated with me, without making me feel emotionally overwhelmed were:

• Sending flowers.

• Sending wine.

• Sending Netflix recommendations.

• Offering to listen without comment.

• Offering to help with errands, or call to cancel plans on my behalf.

• Offering to be there, even if I wouldn’t take them up on it for months. Texting to check in, even if they knew I wouldn’t text back.

• Waiting patiently if I cried through sentences before getting them out.

• Absorbing my dark humor without comment or criticism, but also not mistaking guarded humor for indifference.

• Did I say sending wine already?