What to say when a friend tells you they have been diagnosed with something serious
The five words that always work, the two questions to ask after, and what to send once the call ends
Topic
showing-up
9 articles tagged showing-up.
When a friend's parent dies — the first text, the follow-up, the six-month check-in
The exact words for the first text, the funeral, the awful Wednesday six months later — and the calendar trick that saves you
How to show up for a friend going through a divorce
The one question to ask, what to volunteer without being asked, and the well-meaning sentences you need to stop saying
When a friend cancels for the third time — what to do, and what it means
The one honest text to send, the interpretation you need to reject, and how to tell when it's time to stop initiating
When a friend disappears for a month
Three reasons a friend goes quiet, the one message that works for all of them, and how to hold steady while you wait
The friend caring for a parent — what actually helps them
Skip 'let me know if I can help.' Here's what to say and do during the three hardest moments of a caregiving friendship
What to bring to a bereavement, when food is the wrong answer
Three quiet options for the friend whose fridge is already full — and the short, honest note that goes with each of them
How to be the person a friend calls when they are spiraling
The posture that steadies a spiraling friend, the sentence that lands, and the well-meaning moves that make it worse
When you are the person who has to say the hard thing
The four-sentence structure for delivering difficult news to a friend — and how to stay in the room after the words land