When my friend Chris’s young son died, I told her about how my therapist used to ask our group to “be like the elephants” and gather around the wounded member. I knew I couldn’t really help her process the grief, but I could be there, at first just a body sitting close to her, later a voice on the phone. She told her friends about the elephants, and people started giving her little gifts or cards with elephants, just saying “I’m here.” Gather your elephants, love. We are here. GLORIA FLYNN, friend of the author, in a personal message
