"I know how you feel because I'm divorced."

This statement gets my blood boiling every single time.  I will not pretend to understand the pain and devastation that comes with divorce so I can only state the facts. A husband or wife that has passed on is the "actual death of a person." A divorce (to some people) may appear or feel "like a death." The two are not the same. It is highly inappropriate to equate someone leaving a marriage to someone leaving earth, regardless of the cause of death.

Additionally, death rips a parent from surviving children. Even if a living parent has a strained relationship with their children, there is still hope of reconciliation through time and prayer. When a parent dies, the surviving children visit their mother or father at a cemetery or an urn. 

There are many things that I can relate to, however I am honest about the things that I can't relate to. For example: I know people that have experienced the loss of a child. I also know people that have chronic illnesses. The list goes on and on. I will never try to compare my pain and experiences to theirs because it is highly insensitive, I do not share these same experiences, and I find it selfish to turn the attention away from the matter at hand. In times of tragedy its always best to show empathy and be a listening ear. Sometimes the best support comes in the form of being a quiet and calm presence for your loved one.