“I’ve always been a rule follower. When they said not to chew gum, I didn’t chew gum. When they said not to use your cellphone, I didn’t use my cellphone. But today, in the spirit of defying expectations, and for perhaps the last time at this podium, I say..."
Early College High School valedictorian Alem Hadzic has gone viral after he took the stage at his graduation ceremony to deliver his speech—just hours after his father's funeral.
Discover a variety of heartfelt and appropriate ways of how to respond to "I'm sorry for your loss." Whether you prefer to keep it simple, share a memory, or express gratitude, find the right words to navigate these conversations during times of grief.
"When you hear your wife screaming from upstairs saying she has had an accident you run up the stairs... When you get to your bathroom and hear her laughing, you have to pull your cell phone out because you know this is going to be funny."
"Me calling him my ex-husband’s name as I walked drunkenly through the house at 3am. Him keeping secrets from me. Me going through his pockets. Him never looking me in the eye. Both of us addicts, just of different substances."
"One day, I kissed my husband goodbye and told him I loved him as he was leaving for work, only to receive a phone call several hours later... I instantly became a widow at the age of 25, with three precious boys under the age of three."
