What’s the most insensitive thing someone has said to you after losing a loved one?
Shortly after my mom died, a family member said that her death was less tragic than that of their friend who had died the same week. They argued that because my mom had chosen to stop life-sustaining treatment, it meant she wanted to die. For context, my mom didn't want to die; she was simply in so much pain that she could no longer bear it.
Another family member said that my mom's death shouldn’t have been a shock to me since we had talked about the possibility of her dying due to her illness. While it's true we had that conversation, the reality of her death was still a profound shock, as it happened very quickly.
And to add insult to injury, a friend of mine asked who I would be complaining about now that my mom is gone, claiming that we had a difficult relationship. While it wasn't perfect, it wasn't all bad either, and their unsolicited judgment on my relationship with my mom made me feel guilty for having shared my frustrations with them. I believe it's not up to anyone else to define our relationships with our loved ones, especially during a time of grief.
Can we all agree that people should just stick to saying, 'I'm sorry for your loss' or 'My condolences'?