A few weeks before my oldest son was killed in a car accident, I sat on the sidelines of a baseball practice listening to a friend wonder how to help someone who was grieving. At the time, I didn't know what to say either. Today, I view that conversation through a very different lens. If you've ever wondered how to support a grieving friend, here are some lessons I've learned from both sides of loss.

Our bedroom has a revolving door most mornings; today was no exception. Joshua, our youngest, climbed into bed with us after a middle of the night potty accident. He gives the sweetest wake-up calls, usually greeting me with a hug around the neck and multiple kisses; first my cheeks and then two more, one for each closed eye. He finally makes his way out of our bed, and I breathe a sigh of relief as I hear his little feet padding down the stairs to see his Daddy.

I wanted to run and hide to ease the pain somehow, I was weary and heavy-hearted. A fresh wave of grief came crashing in, and my mind was racing with a hundred different thoughts all at once.