When your friend loses a loved one, it’s customary to join in the grieving process and help them cope with the loss, hurt, and pain that they’re experiencing. You can help provide a safe space to give them hope and comfort. One of the ways to facilitate this is by sending a sympathy gift.
There are different types of sympathy gifts like sympathy flowers that you can give to your friend when they’re grieving. Some depend on the type of relationship you have with the person, as well as any cultural values and belief differences
Here are some tips to help you choose and send a sympathy gift to a grieving friend.
- Send Flowers
Whether you send them as a gift, or a part of a bigger gift, flowers are a universal symbol of emotion. In this context, the flowers symbolize your shared grief, care, and concern.
They can also serve as a heartfelt gesture and a source of comfort. Flowers help remind the receiver that there are people care about them. Make sure to choose a reliable florist like Bouqs.com to ensure that your sympathy gift gets to your friend on time and in good condition.
- Attach A Note
When sending a sympathy gift, it's always recommended to send a note with the gift. If you use flower delivery websites to send your gift, you can ask them to attach a card to the flowers.
In this card, you can express your sadness at hearing the news, and wish that your friend finds the comfort that they need during the grieving process. You can also assure your friend that you’ll be available for any assistance that they may require.
- Personalize The Gift
Personalizing a gift can be done in many different ways. For instance, you can include a unique feature in memory of the deceased. You can send your friend a coffee mug with a photo of the person that they’ve lost.
This personalization is what will make the mug so precious and meaningful to your friend. Try funeral flower preservation that helps in creating personalized ornaments like a heart pendant, beads, necklace set, etc. There are also plenty of other items that you can send to offer condolences and express your sympathy, while still showing that you carefully thought about what would help them remember their loved one..
- Send A Useful Gift
A useful gift is one that your friend will benefit from during the difficult times. For example, you can send frozen foods that your friend can keep in his or her freezer.
Sending this will save your friend from having to prepare meals at a time where they probably won't have the energy or the desire to. A useful gift is one that contributes to making the process of grieving easier, so take the time to figure out what type of gift your friend would most appreciate.
- Don't Make It About You
Avoid sending a gift that you’d appreciate. Sometimes it's in our nature to act out of our perception. You must take the time to find out what your friend would appreciate based on his or her values, beliefs, and preferences.
If you would prefer to receive a gift that has the deceased inscriptions and photographs, your friend might find this a bit too tacky or insensitive. People grieve differently so if you are not sure whether a gift is appreciated, its best to stick to safe gifts such as flowers.
- Timing Matters
It's important to be mindful about when to send a sympathy gift to your friend. You should send a gift as soon as you hear about the death. This shows genuine care on your part. Once you’ve sent that initial gift, if you’re going to attend the funeral, you can still bring a bouquet with you.
After the funeral proceedings have ended and enough time has passed, you can send a follow-up sympathy gift. This is when life has gone back to normal for others except for the ones left grieving and trying to figure out the best way to go on without the loved one passed. This gesture shows that you’re still concerned about your friend’s condition and represents your encouragement and support as they try to surpass this difficult time.
Conclusion
Getting your friend a sympathy gift requires attention to your friend’s preferences and basic sympathy etiquette. Flowers are a safe, universal gift to offer comfort when someone has lost a loved one.
You can send flowers as a gift or as a part of a bigger gift. You may also attach a card, personalize the gift to your friend’s preferences, and send a useful gift that your friend would appreciate.