When someone you know and care about loses a loved one, it can be a challenge to reach them in a way that is both sympathetic and shows that they are in your thoughts. Sometimes words just aren't enough, and expressing your condolences by saying how sorry you are for their loss may not feel adequate or simply might not be how you express your care and love. In this case, sometimes the best option is to buy a sympathy gift. Sympathy gifts can show someone who is grieving just how much they mean to you, and they may help to lighten the burden of loss. But what does a good sympathy gift look like?
Sympathy Gifts Ideas for Expressing Condolences
Sympathy gifts come in many forms, and oftentimes they will be a reflection of your personality, your method of caring and the feelings of the recipient. Gifts can be something you purchase on your own, discuss with the grieving individual's family, or even with the recipient. As with any gift, it's important to consider what the recipient will appreciate and care for, but having some sympathy gift ideas to give you a ground upon which to build can be ideal. It might even lead you to find that perfect gift. Here are nine popular sympathy gift ideas for someone who has lost a loved one.
- Send a Sympathy Card
One of the most popular sympathy gift ideas is one of the most classic gifts available. Sending a personalized card can be an incredibly powerful message, as it allows you to express your condolences through words and a gift at the same time. Sympathy cards can take many forms, but you'll frequently find a large variety at department stores that offer many different ways to express your condolences. You can even pair a card with another gift for more impact.
- Deliver a Bouquet of Flowers
Another classic gift, a bouquet is a classic sympathy gift idea that for many is the only gift they'll consider. These bouquets can be composed of flowers significant to the lost loved one or flowers you believe the recipient will love. Traditionally, white flowers are often used for sympathy gifts, especially white roses, lilies, carnations and chrysanthemums.
- Beautiful Stained-Glass Candle Holders
For a more unique and effective sympathy gift, a stained-glass candle holder is a way to honor a lost loved one's memory while providing beauty to a home. Candles are a popular sympathy gift, and a grieving person will likely receive them as gifts from someone. A candle holder allows them to display these candles in a beautiful way that lights up the room in color with a hand-crafted design. At OneWorld Memorials, you can find stained-glass candle holders in a range of unique designs - all with the ability to be engraved with a personal message.
- Memorial Keepsakes for Unique Gifts
Memorial keepsakes are a wide category of sympathy gifts and cremation gifts that feature beautiful designs and unique shapes. Often, these keepsakes are sculptures that act as a memento to honor a lost loved one. Sometimes, these keepsake items can hold a nominal amount of cremation ashes, so if a lost loved one has chosen to be cremated, it can be a way to keep that loved one close in a beautiful and touching way.
- Photo Books that Hold Memories
What better way to keep a lost loved one's memory alive than a photo book? If the gift recipient is someone who owns a lot of photographs of the special times they shared with their lost loved one, a photo book is a fantastic way of assembling those memories in one special place. This way, whenever they want to revisit those special days, all they need to do is open the book.
- Keepsake Boxes for Mementos
Like a photo book, a keepsake box is a way to store memories. Instead of photographs, keepsake boxes often hold trinkets, mementos and objects with personal significance that allow the grieving individual to reflect upon the good times they shared with their lost loved one. Keepsake boxes come in a wide range of sizes and materials, so it's a great way to personalize a gift.
- Chocolates Make Classic Gifts
Maybe they aren't the type of person who likes to keep objects around the house - in this case, chocolates are a great, classic choice as a sympathy gift. Whether it's a box of assorted chocolates or a collection of high-quality pieces, chocolates can put a smile on someone's face on nearly any occasion.
- Lamps to Light Up the Night
If they aren't particularly fond of candles but the idea of a beautiful stained-glass sculpture is still a gift they may appreciate, you may want to consider a stained-glass lamp as a sympathy gift. Stained-glass lamps can be easily plugged into an outlet to add a glow to the beautiful colors stained into the glass, and with many different shapes and styles, it's easy to find a lamp for anyone.
- A Thoughtful Dinner
Finally, a thoughtful dinner can make a perfect sympathy gift. Grief can make it incredibly difficult to handle even the most routine things, which can include cooking dinner, so offering a dinner to a grieving person can be a great way to show you care. This can be a dinner you've purchased in advance at a restaurant or a meal you make for the individual.
Finding that right sympathy gift that shows just how much you care doesn't have to be a challenge. With sympathy gift ideas like these and stores like OneWorld Memorials that offer a range of gifts to help you find that perfect way to express your condolences, you can show someone that you're thinking of them in a way that feels right for both of you.