Errand Love

When someone is grieving, even the smallest tasks can feel impossible—returning library books, picking up prescriptions, mailing that form that’s been sitting on the counter for weeks. Sometimes it's the task, and sometimes it's remembering to do the task, and sometimes it's making the time or having the energy to do the task. Whatever it is, grief can make the simplest of tasks feel like moving mountains. The solution? Errand love.

One quiet but powerful way to support a grieving friend is by offering to take care of a mundane errand for them. It's not always the dramatic or grandiose gestures—but the little, often invisible things that grief can make so heavy.

How do you share your errand love?

Text them something specific: “Hey, I’m heading to the post office. Want me to drop anything off for you? Or grab some stamps?” Or: “I’ll be near the pharmacy later—need a refill picked up?” Perhaps something more day-to-day: "I'm going to the grocery store after work. Do you need anything? What kind of ice cream do you want, I'll bring it by on my way home."

These small offerings don’t just lift logistical weight; they say I see you without expecting emotional labor in return. You don't need to offer this every day or even every week, but it allows periodic check ins, without bringing up heavy topics in grief. It allows your loved one to know that you remember them in this hard time, and are just a text away.

If you're not in the same town, this may be a bit more difficult. Having groceries delivered, mailing a set of Forget Me Not Notes, or sending a meal to be delivered can be great ways to support from any distance.

Grief makes the world feel unmanageable. Helping with one forgotten task through errand love can make it feel just a little more possible. In any stage, remind them their grief is not forgotten.