There’s no doubt about it. A loss of any kind is overwhelming. But when you lose a loved one, the feelings can make facing each day seem impossible. The experience often involves a mixture of shock, numbness, and intense waves of sadness. There could even be feelings of regret and thoughts of what-ifs, especially if the losses were sudden.
Knowing a family who is processing the passing of a loved one brings additional challenges. What can you say or do to help them through this difficult time? Sometimes, there aren’t enough words, but extending a heartfelt gift is a start. It lets the family know you care and are there for them in their time of need. Here are four ideas to consider.
1. Sympathy Gift Baskets
Searching for a thoughtful sympathy gift doesn’t have to take days or weeks. Gift baskets with comfort foods, cards, and extra care items put together all the essentials. You can provide a family with a home-cooked meal and heartfelt messages at the same time. Adding extras like books on dealing with loss, blankets, and self-care sets goes the extra mile.
During the grieving process, it’s not uncommon for people to feel lost. They may have the energy to take care of the everyday things everyone usually takes for granted. Preparing a hot meal is certainly one of those. With customized sympathy gift baskets, you can include soup, rolls, and cookies.
It saves the family from having to think about taking care of the essentials while they’re trying to work through their sadness. They may also be so busy with making funeral arrangements and going through the belongings of their loved ones. Reviewing wills and carrying out the wishes of the deceased are also time-consuming, grief-provoking must-dos. Ensuring the family can focus on what matters most in these moments goes a long way.
2. Household Services
You’ve probably heard that everyone deals with grief differently. While individuals may go through the five stages of grief in various ways, they’re likely processing a lot at once. All of those emotions, which can come and go, mean they’re not going to seem like themselves. At times, someone processing the loss of a loved one won’t recognize who they are.
They may not have the energy to do the things they used to do. Alleviating some of the burden by paying for household services, such as housecleaning and childcare, gives them space to process. You might consider other services, including lawn care, grocery shopping, and transportation.
Arranging for services like these prevents neglect and the subsequent guilt that comes from it. If a family is working through feelings of depression, they may not be up to taking care of what they would otherwise. Having a team around them to pitch in won’t get rid of their sadness. However, it will help mitigate the potential flare-up of those feelings that can come from realizing you’ve neglected everyday chores.
3. Memorial Tree or Garden
Does the grieving family you know have space for a memorial garden? It’s a customizable item you can gift them, whether the space is large or small. If designing a garden is too complex, consider a memorial tree instead. The caveat with gifting plants is you want to run it by the family first.
There could be concerns about tree size and HOA bylaws to follow. Still, arranging to have a memorial garden or tree planted in their loved one’s memory can be a thoughtful gesture. It expresses your condolences and aids the family in establishing a more permanent memorial. Gardens and trees can symbolize the life their family member once lived. These memorials also serve as a reminder that their loved one’s spirit lives on and continues to surround them.
Besides foliage, memorial gardens or trees could include customized plaques and small benches. It’s a way to say who the plants are in memory of. Furthermore, these mementos add a touch of who their loved one was in life. The items could include the person’s favorite quote, a list of their notable characteristics, or what they cherished most about living. Memorial gardens are gifts the family can add to as time goes on, becoming another therapeutic exercise for the group.
4. Charitable Donations
Sometimes, grieving families don’t need or want more stuff. They don’t require personal services because they already have them in place. The family will say the best way to preserve their loved one’s memory is by supporting the causes they believed in.
If this sounds familiar, consider donating to an organization in the decedent’s name. It may be a local food bank, a homeless shelter, or a school. Say the family’s loved one led a life of service, dedicating their free time to volunteer activities with a specific charity. You can extend a donation in the person’s name, helping their volunteer legacy live on.
Perhaps they were involved in several humanitarian causes, but those causes had a general theme. For instance, the family’s loved one focused on supporting the community’s senior citizens. You could extend several smaller donations to multiple local organizations that provide senior citizen services. Your gifts in the loved one’s name can be one-time, recurring, or somewhere between.
Supporting Families in Their Time of Grief
Eventually, grief touches us all. In the United States, about 2.5 million people pass away each year. They leave behind an average of five loved ones who must process their loss. Losing someone is not only traumatic but disruptive to routine life. Even if you’re not impacted directly yet, you probably know someone who is grieving the loss of a family member.
Showing your support comes in many forms, including gifts. Extending comfort through homecooked meals, household services, memorial gardens, and charitable donations are ways to express your care. Heartfelt gifts can help families process their grief while keeping their routine as normal as possible.
