If you want to be a good friend to someone who is grieving, follow this simple tip: put a reminder on your calendar to call your friend in 6 months.

Many people in our culture imagine that 6 months is a curative time period and that grief ends after this time has passed. However, in my experience counseling those who are grieving, this is not the case. Grievers still need their friends and family to support them in the months and years after their loved one has died.

So even if you went to the funeral, baked a casserole, and sent a condolence letter, consider calling in 6 months to check in. Ask about the loved one who passed away. Give your friend space to talk. The griever probably still has much to share because memories and feelings do not disappear when a loved one dies. A friendly phone call could do much to ease the loneliness and pain of grief and open the dialogue once more about how much a loved one still means.