When it comes to losing a loved one, no situation or set of emotions is ever the same. It only makes sense, then, that the sympathy you pay to the person going through this should be equally unique, catered to them and their situation. So if you’re looking to fill a gift box as a show of sympathy and support, you’ll want to think outside of it!
Help Them Keep Growing Their Love Despite the Loss
Plants can be the perfect gift for a loved one who’s just experienced a loss, as they offer up a lot of benefits. They can be a great way to honor someone’s memory, celebrate a life, continue to grow love for a lost loved one and put the inspiration and beauty of a lost loved one on permanent display. So getting the favorite flower or plant of the person they’re missing is always a personal and loving gift to give. Along with this, plants have a way of improving our environments and boosting our moods, so they really do make for the perfect sympathy gift to show that you care about your giftee.
If you want to amplify their benefits, consider choosing a gardening or planting gift that gets them more involved, like exciting springtime seed bombs over a bouquet. This will offer the added benefits that come with getting outside, getting their hands dirty and growing a hardy plant from nothing but seeds!
Let Them Gravitate Outside Toward a Garden Stone
A personalized garden stone is a perfect sympathy gift whether they have a garden or not. This is because any cute garden decorations will encourage them to get outside and experience the mood-boosting benefits, but this one in particular should draw them out there anytime they start to think of the name that’s been lovingly inscribed on it. If your loved one has lost a pet, this gift will be particularly prominent as it may even be used practically as a gravestone. Along with this, garden stones are as subtle and suitable for any style as they are special and sophisticated, so don’t hesitate if you are considering the idea!
Boost Their Well-Being with a Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets are proven to be helpful when it comes to sleep (which they very well may be having a very hard time with after the loss of a loved one) and will feel like a warm hug whenever they need it. From velvet knit blankets to soft and solid sherpa blankets, there are options out there to suit anyone’s style!
Let Them Carry Their Love at All Times
While lockets are often depicted in their large and outdated forms, they are offered in endless styles and sizes. So from carrying their loved one’s photo to carrying a small scrap of paper with their writing, this is a gift that’s sure to be used. Along with this, the personalization is pronounced, whether that be through the pick of metal, the shape, the size, the details and/or any engraving.
Do the Name Honor with a Donation
Whether it be an anonymous donation, a donation in someone’s honor or a donation in someone’s memory, the decision to do this is always encouraged if the person that your loved one has lost was an animal lover in life. Donations can be made to any animal shelters, centers, refugees or charities that focus on animal rights and welfare, rescues or rehabilitation in any monetary amount. Along with being an incredibly personal way to honor the person your loved one has lost, it’s an amazing way to support and improve the lives (of animals) that are still with us — which means that this gift will feel as good for you as it does for your loved one!
Help Them Stay Healthy with Heartfelt Food-Inspired Items
While you want to feed their soul, sometimes food is needed to feed them more fully. Not only is this important for their well-being and essential in boosting their mood, but it is the perfect way to show them that you care about the situation as much as you care about them and how long they are around. Depending on who they’ve lost in life, a food-inspired gift may open more specific and special selections than you may have thought of otherwise as well. For instance, gifting them the perfect pie pan with their grandmother’s preserved recipe engraved on it will be as sweet as the pie itself. A wooden serving utensil set burned with the words “Come and get it!” could be like what their spouse used to shout before serving every meal — or a couple of cocktail cubes could be as cool as the ones their buddy used to use. The kitchen is the heart of the home, so if you’re looking for a gift that’s truly heartfelt, uplifting and healthy, kitchen gifts are the way to go!
Make Sure They Can Express Their Emotions, Even if It’s Not to You
A leather-bound journal or one with an inspiring cover image or beautiful message will help them to express their emotions, extract inspiration from them and keep it forever. If you know that your loved one has a difficult time tapping into their more emotional side, consider a memory journal that’s filled with writing prompts that they can use to rediscover and record their favorite or most important memories with the special someone that they’ve lost. To amplify the effect, consider reaching out about it the next time that they feel comfortable talking about the event, and ask them to share any memories that it’s helped for them to remember.
Thinking Outside of the Box…
Thinking outside of the box doesn’t necessarily have to mean staying away from boxes themselves. So if you are looking to fill a gift box with sympathy and support as we had mentioned above, then it’s always worth exploring what sort of special curated gift boxes you can have created for your grieving loved one.
And don’t forget — no matter what sort of gift you decide to give, it’s important that you get them a card that does a good job of expressing how you feel (and sign off with your love and special signature) as well!
