Ready-made phrases arrive quickly because silence feels unbearable. Telling somebody that everything happens for a reason, or that they are strong, closes the subject politely and leaves them alone inside it. What they were reaching for was company, and a slogan is the sound of a door being shut kindly. Almost nobody means it that way, which is exactly why it keeps happening.

When someone tells you something heavy this week, hold back the first sentence that comes to mind. Say you are glad they told you, ask one gentle question, and let the pause run longer than is comfortable.