depression-despair-grief-897817 Published July 18, 2018 at 5760 × 3840 in Grief: 10 Things NOT to say to someone grieving Grief is when someone close to us dies or begins hospice, it pulls on our heart, distracts our mind, and affects us physically. As a result, we feel fragile, or helpless. Well-intentioned friends try to console us, but struggle with what to say.