Q.My wife and I just buried our grandson - he was only 5 and was killed in a car accident. Please tell me how to help her get over this. She is beyond consoling.

She gets together with my daughter-in-law (the boys mother) and they just cry and talk about nothing but him. What should I do?

A. The loss of a child (or grandchild) is one of the most devastating events an adult can experience.

You wrote that you and your wife "just buried" him. It may be important to begin to realize that it is extremely difficult to put a "time limit" on the grief process. Individuals process their grief and loss in their own unique way.

I believe that your wife (and daughter-in-law) will need to "work through" this loss on their own. Perhaps the best thing for you to do is to provide as much (physical and emotional) support as she will allow you.

If you have a spiritual advisor/clergy, consider calling them for additional support.

In the event you begin to observe that as a result of her grieving, a physical health problem arises. Talk to her physician immediately.