It’s easier to talk about my father’s death with people who don’t understand. There are polite ways to talk about it. You use words like lost or passed because dead and died make people squirm. They’ll inevitably tell you they’re sorry, and then you’ll assure them that it’s been a long time or he didn’t suffer or whatever other bullshit line works. You can always find a line that will hit the brakes on the whole topic. People who haven’t lost anyone are happy to pretend death doesn’t exist at all. But talking to someone who’s grieved? It’s harder to hide in that conversation.
