Supporting Jake and Moriah Michalovich in Honor of Jackson

Jake and Moriah are unexpectedly facing the loss of their son, Jackson Michalovich, who was born still on Monday, June 17th. Please consider contributing a monetary donation to this beloved couple to help cover memorial and funeral costs as well as any unexpected needs that will surely arise during this time. This couple loves others so well, so I am unashamedly asking that you lavish them in generous love and support in return.

You can also provide a meal with their meal train linked here: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/4eo3v7

The family has asked for limited visitors as they process. However, they welcome messages and texts expressing your love, support, and prayers. Please keep in mind that while they may not have the capacity or energy to respond, they will read and be comforted by your words and prayers.

A few tips as you aim to support Jake and Moriah in their grief:

Grief and loss are difficult to experience and witness for us all. We naturally feel a desire to fix, resolve, or take away the pain. This can lead to saying things that, even if they are true, are not helpful and potentially even hurtful. Even as a therapist, I (Alex) have made mistakes supporting others in their grief, especially when it comes to people I love. So here are some general guidelines when it comes to supporting our friends in their grief:

Try to avoid:

—Platitudes like “Everything happens for a reason.”

—Scriptures like “Our sorrows don’t compare to the joys ahead!”

—Attempts to find the silver lining like “At least (fill in the blank)”

—Comparing your own losses to theirs (“My cousin lost their baby and…”).

—Becoming so emotional in their presence that the focus shifts to them taking care of you.

—If you’ve said or done something like this, don’t be afraid to apologize! We all stick our foot in our mouths at times, and Jake and Moriah know your heart.

Helpful things to say/do:

—Validate their pain. Permit them to feel angry, shocked, confused, bereft. These are necessary and normal emotions that should not be minimized or dismissed.

—Sit in silence with them.

—Don’t be afraid to bring it up. You’re not “reminding them” of the difficulty. There’s no way they could forget, and asking feels like caring.

—Honor their wishes. Even when you ask, they may not always want to talk about it and they may not want visitors.

—Find practical ways to help:

Mow the lawn, drop off coffee, deliver groceries, send money, pick up their laundry, etc.

Jake and Moriah, we love you and are surrounding you during this time.