How to Show Up for Someone in Grief (When You Don’t Know What to Say)
Release Date: 04/08/2026
How to Show Up for Someone in Grief (When You Don’t Know What to Say)
Real Women's Work Podcast
What do you say to someone who’s grieving? Most of us don’t know. So we send flowers. We drop off food. And then… we disappear. Today’s guest, Kelly Edmondson, is here to change that. Kelly is a nurse executive, grief counselor, and founder of Timely Presence—a service created after the death of her son, Darius. Through her own experience of profound loss, she’s learned something most of us never have: Grief doesn’t need fixing. It needs presence. In this conversation, Kelly shares what people got right—and wrong—after her son passed, and gives us practical, deeply human ways...
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info_outlineWhat do you say to someone who’s grieving?
Most of us don’t know.
So we send flowers. We drop off food. And then… we disappear.
Today’s guest, Kelly Edmondson, is here to change that.
Kelly is a nurse executive, grief counselor, and founder of Timely Presence—a service created after the death of her son, Darius. Through her own experience of profound loss, she’s learned something most of us never have:
Grief doesn’t need fixing.
It needs presence.
In this conversation, Kelly shares what people got right—and wrong—after her son passed, and gives us practical, deeply human ways to show up for the people we love when they need it most.
This episode will change how you think about grief, support, and connection.
What You’ll Learn
- Why “What can I do?” is often the wrong question
- What actually helps someone in grief (and when it matters most)
- How to support someone weeks and months after a loss
- Why saying the person’s name matters
- The real impact of not showing up
- How grief connects to long-term health (yes, really)
Powerful Moments from This Episode
- “Your absence… is louder than anything you could say.”
- “There’s not a day I don’t know my son is dead.”
- “Don’t ask what you can do. Name the thing.”
- “Tears are love.”
About Kelly Edmondson
Kelly is a nurse executive, grief counselor, and founder of Timely Presence, a service designed to help people show up consistently for loved ones during the first year of grief through meaningful, timed gifts and reminders.
Her work is rooted in both clinical experience and personal loss—and a mission to make sure no one grieves alone.
Resources & Links
- Timely Presence: https://thetimelypresence.com
- Follow Kelly on Instagram: @thetimelypresence
- Connect on LinkedIn: Kelly Edmondson
If this episode made you think of someone—
text them. Call them. Say their person’s name.
That’s the work.