Have a girlfriend going through separation? Not sure what to say?

We women hate to see the girlfriends we love going through tough stuff. It’s our nature to care and want whatever is best for them – but what happens when they’re in a situation that we can’t relate to. Or, maybe we’re confused on what they really want us to say or do for them. It makes it stressful not only on them, but also on us and on our friendship. It’s tough to know how to be a better friend to a girlfriend going through a separation.

To give us a true perspective, we’re thrilled to introduce you to KELLY SAJONIA. (LISTEN IN to our interview with her!) Kelly

There’s a plethora of information on the internet about surviving a divorce, but what about advice for individuals supporting their separated friends? For those interested in being supportive, but never experiencing divorce personally, it can be confusing.

Here are five tips for supporting a separated friend:

1) Learn about the stages of grief. Your friend is on a long, emotionally tumultuous rollercoaster. She will move through the grieving process at her own pace and will definitely return to repeat a stage. Losing a marriage, the restructuring of a family (if children are involved), and the loss of a spouse is in essence a death. Regardless of who initiated the split, there will be a grieving process involved. It is also important to recognize that when least expected, grief will come flooding back. It could be hitting a milestone anniversary, the first time the kids are with the ex for a holiday, the divorce is finalized, or even something as simple as discovering a meaningful memento in the back of a drawer. Just be ready to listen and support her, but understand grieving is a difficult and fairly unpredictable process which can’t be rushed.

2) Patience and good listening skills are essential. “You need to get over him and move on” or “you should be dating by now” should never be advice you give. Refer back to advice #1 about grieving. She needs to move at a pace she feels comfortable, not what others expect of her. The greatest gift you can give her at this time in her life is your ability to just listen and to allow her to move at her own pace.

3) Get her out of the house. She needs a break from her thoughts, worries, and the social isolation of staying home. HOWEVER, the most important part of getting her out, is asking what she would like to do. There will be many situations that will be uncomfortable for your friend. Maybe she will feel comfortable one-on-one with you at the movie theater, but the thought of dinner out with couples is more than she can handle right now.

4) Be positive. Anger and hate are two horrible emotions to carry around. Without letting go of these feelings, your friend will be held back from finding true happiness within and possibly happiness in another relationship. She will likely be angered if you are full of sunshine and happiness each time you visit, but help her keep the perspective. It is appropriate to agree that her ex did something horrible or her ex’s attorney sounds like a jerk, but don’t jump in with man bashing or negativity. Your friend will never be at peace if she carries anger and hate with her the rest of her life.

5) Rally the troops. Get girlfriends involved to help. Contact other girlfriends to create a meal and playdate calendar or some other idea to support her. Brainstorm with mutual friends to figure out how, collectively, you all could best provide support.

Have you been through a divorce or supported a friend through the process?

If so, please leave a comment below with other ideas.

KELLY SAJONIA is a single mom, daughter, friend, blogger, photographer, baseball fanatic, and triathlete. She lives with her two children outside Washington, DC. Kelly writes on her blog, Naked Girl in a Dress, and is a contributing writer for Blissfully Domestic. You can also follow Kelly on Facebook and Twitter.

Separated? Have you ‘been there’ or have a girlfriend who has/is? What’s your girlfriend advice on how to be a better friend?

LISTEN IN to our interview with Kelly on September 3rd, 2-2:30pm ET on BlogTalkRadio.com/Girlfriendology!

Check out these other Girlfriendology blogs on how to be a better friend:

• Be a Better Friend – Be a Better Listener
• Be a Better Friend – to a Friend with cancer
• Be a Better Friend – Be the kind of Friend you’d love to have
• Be a Better Friend – to a long distance Friend
• Be a Better Friend – to a friend looking for a job
• Be a Better Friend – to a friend who is grieving

Tags: be a better friend, divorce, friends separated, girlfriend advice, kelly sajonia, naked girl in a dress, starting over

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 9:00 pm and is filed under Be a Better FRIEND. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.