DEAR HARRIETTE: I went to the funeral of a friend’s father. He was a prominent person in his hometown, and the funeral was very nice -- as those things go. My friend, however, was very upset.
When we were growing up, my friend used to say that her father was mean to her and her brother. Now that he has died, those old memories are bubbling up, and she is upset again.
At the family gathering after the funeral, we had to take her to another room when she started shouting about how mad she was at her dad. She has a right to her feelings, but the way she handled herself at the funeral was not good. I think she needs help in order to get past these bad memories. How can I get her to see this? -- Grieving Friend
DEAR GRIEVING FRIEND: Death stirs up all manner of emotions, and people do need to go through whatever surfaces. That doesn’t mean that your friend should have gotten a pass for being rude at her father’s funeral. It does mean that now would be the perfect time to get professional help to sort through what she’s feeling.
As her friend, you can gently suggest that a grief counselor might be useful as she explores her emotions. Tell her that you wish you had the training and experience to help her properly, but you don’t. Encourage her to engage a professional who can listen to her objectively and help her understand what her thoughts and feelings mean and how to process them.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)