Holding space - for others, for yourself
A few small practices for staying present when grief asks for our quiet attention.
To hold space is to be a soft place for someone's truth to land. No fixing. No advice. No rushing them toward the version of themselves we are more comfortable with.
It is also, often, the hardest thing we can do - because grief in another person stirs grief in us. Our instinct is to offer a solution, a silver lining, a story of someone who had it worse and survived. None of these are space.
Space sounds like: "That makes sense. I'm here. Tell me more." Space looks like: a slow nod, an unhurried breath, a hand on a shoulder, an evening with no plan.
And the same practice belongs to you. When grief visits, let it sit down. Make it tea. Do not rush it out the door.
— Janice
