Offering our sympathies for a dear departed comes naturally to us. It is an unwritten obligation that we discharge. However, at times, we show slackness regarding not-so-near relatives or lesser known acquaintances. Also in the case of near relatives we sometime succumb to delays that could have been avoided.

It is on these occasions that we must be vigilant and alert. We must remember that on such occasions our brethren need the warmth of human beings the most. Of course the loss is irreparable and nothing can replace the deceased person. Yet our presence and words of sympathy can mean a lot for the bereaved person. The encouragement and assurance it can give can only be imagined if we have been in their shoes.

Sometimes, the wound caused by the death is very deep. This is especially the case when the deceased is a young person or someone who is in absolute health Similarly, unexpected accidents and unforeseen calamities cause a deep gash. Such incidents need even more time and care from us for the affected family

Such incidents shake us to the core. They remind us how fleeting this life is and how big a reality is death. The person affected by it feels tremendous stress and anguish. Besides comforting him, this is also a chance for us to be reminded to the greatest reality of life: death.

We should specially go to condole for people who may be our rivals or those who are jealous of us. Similarly, anyone who is closely related to them should be a cause of our immediate attention. This goes miles in cleansing ourselves spiritually and setting an example for others.

We must remember that since time is the greatest healer, the bereaved person will recover from this loss to a great a extent. However, he will seldom forget the person who was with him in his time of grief.

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