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I have a friend who lost her father and she isn’t upset at all. Why isn’t she upset?

Most people react to a loss in three ways and your friend is probably no different.
  1. One, maybe she is so confident that her born again father is in heaven that it gives her such comfort.
  2. Two, she’s afraid to show her emotions as a sign of weakness. She puts up a strong front because others are weak around her and she’s expected to be “the strong one.” Or her parents have put up a “no-emotion” zone and she’s been programmed to not react.
  3. Three, she’s in denial about his passing.
Death is a difficult concept to grasp that someone is gone from this earth forever. Everyone reacts differently. Sometimes it takes years until it really hits them. No way is right or wrong.

I find that the best way to talk to someone about loss is not to force someone to react emotionally, but to simply ask about her father. Memories bring comfort and keep someone alive in the hearts of the grieving.