Avoid the impulse to give a grieving person space. Reach out without the expectation of a prompt reply, says etiquette expert Margaret Shepherd. When it comes to acknowledging death, we’re often puerile and ill at ease. Despite being desperate to console a loved one, we find ourselves anxious and stammering for the right words. Margaret Shepherd, author of The Art of Civilized Conversation: A Guide to Expressing Yourself with Style and Grace, believes talking about death is still taboo in Western society because many people have never had to deal with it directly. “It happens in a hospital or when they’re not there, so they’re talking about something they don’t know about personally and it makes them uncertain, ” she explains in a call from her home in Boston. This story is from Kinfolk Issue Twenty-Seven Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 48 Internal Flame The etiquette of a crush. Arts & Culture Issue 40 Bare Necessities An overview of topless etiquette. Arts & Culture Issue 38 Alua Arthur Death doula Alua Arthur talks to Kyla Marshell about preparing for life's final ritual. Arts & Culture Issue 38 Seeing the Light The aftermath of almost dying. Arts & Culture Issue 48 Jordan Casteel The acclaimed painter of people—and now plants. Arts & Culture Issue 48 The Sweet Spot How long is the perfect vacation?
Arts & Culture Issue 38 Alua Arthur Death doula Alua Arthur talks to Kyla Marshell about preparing for life's final ritual.
