Runes and Grief 5: Mannaz

Today's random rune is Mannaz. Often read as the symbol of Humankind, the pictogram incorporates a number of other runes; Dagaz, Ehwaz, Gebo, Wunjo, Isa. We are a complex sort of being, and contain multitudes. I tend to think of it as a double-Wunjo, much like the Chinese symbol of Double Happiness. Kissing Wunjos, if you will. "Man's joy is man," to paraphrase the Anglo-Saxon rune poem.

In times of grief, it can be hard to know what to say, either as the person grieving, or to the person grieving. It's uncomfortable, it's sad, it's possibly an angry time, it is a dense, and heavy time. I am sure you've read or heard that, as a society (United States in particular), we are not comfortable with tragedy. We want to pull ourselves up by our emotional bootstraps and Be Happy Again. There is a lot of pressure to "get over" any sort of unhappy feeling, and especially Grief.

Look at Mannaz. Two Wunjos turned toward each other. facing each other. We need to turn to each other as these Wunjos do to help each other through these times. We need to look at ourselves in the mirror - another common comment on the shape of Mannaz - and be honest with ourselves and each other about our feelings.

Very simple things to say to a grieving person include:

I am so sorry. I don't know what to say. Can I just sit with you? Can I bring you some food? Can I make you some tea/coffee? Can I do some laundry for you? Can I hug you? Do you want to talk about them/it? Can I share a memory of ___ with you?

The important thing is to connect. Do not abandon the grievers. You will not be wrong in being there.