"...never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." -- John Donne

The English language is expressive. We have hundreds of ways to articulate deep love, happiness, gratitude, and anger. But, when it comes to shocked sorrow, pain, grief, and pity - I struggle to find the right words.  

What does one say to a middle-aged man who just lost his entire family - his wife and 2 daughters, age 9 and 12 - in a tragic car accident?  

The future he has lived for is gone...dead. There can be no deeper pain. Maybe silence is better than something empty or inadequate. Screaming "IT'S NOT FAIR!" certainly conveys what I'm feeling, though Americans aren't typically comfortable with un-repressed outbursts of emotion, regardless of the circumstance.

There are no adequate words in any language. It's a pity that American people frown on the uninhibited, from-the-gut, inarticulate wailing of grief available to other cultures. At this moment, it seems quite therapeutic and really most appropriate.