Knowing how to give comfort at a funeral is never easy, especially when a mild thunderstorm took the deceased. Next time, instead of going in blind, just stick to these tried and true phrases.
1. Well, one man’s mild thunderstorm is another man’s last thunderstorm: It can be awkward to know what to say in these situations, and this simple line is both thoughtful and respectful.
2. When God comes lightly rumbling your way, what can you do?: This is a nice option if the deceased came from a religious family.
3. Isn’t that how Genghis Khan died? I’m sure I remember reading that somewhere: Whether or not you actually did read this, it will bring comfort to those close to the deceased that the conquerer of millions across the Eurasian landmass succumbed to the same light showers that the deceased did.
4. Say what you will about thunder, but lighting is lightning, and it’s got one setting: on: Nothing you can say will alleviate the grief, but this thought will definitely go a long way to providing some real comfort.
5. There are no steady drizzles or medium-ish winds up in heaven today, I can tell you that for sure: You can play with the word choice or syntax of this one, but don’t go too off-script here.
6. Weather… it unites us… until it divides us: Posit this philosophical question while rubbing the back of a relative of the deceased in a soothing way.
7. May we all meet such a gently moistened end: You might punctuate this with a “sorry for your loss.” That would be nice.
