Thoughtful Ways To Show Up for Someone Who Is Grieving

You can never go wrong with the gift of food. Your loved one likely doesn’t have the bandwidth to prepare meals for themselves while moving through grief, and they may not have an appetite at all or forget to eat. A basket of simple, nourishing foods is a nice way to go. I recently gifted this Sympathy Soup Gift Basket from Spoonful of Comfort to a friend who lost a loved one and she appreciated having that element of caretaking off her plate. It comes with several servings of your choice of soup, mac and cheese, or both; bread rolls; and cookies in your choice of flavor, as well as a ladle they can keep. You can also add self-care items to the package, like a fuzzy throw blanket or a lavender candle. ($99.99+, Spoonful of Comfort)

Here’s another food option filled with crowd-pleasing but nicer-than-usual snacks for them to graze on. This includes both sweet and savory bites, like seedy crackers with an onion and pepper relish for dipping, chocolate chunk cookies, caramel popcorn, and a dried fruit mix. They’ll appreciate having this on hand if they don’t have the energy to restock their pantry.  ($79.99, Harry & David)

Never underestimate the comforting powers of a stuffed animal. These are a step up from your usual stuffed toy, since they’re weighted, scented with real dried French lavender, and can be microwaved for soothing warmth. This is an especially sweet gift if your loved one lives far away and you can’t give them a hug in person.  ($29.99, Warmies)

Like good food, a sparkling-clean home can go a long way in offering comfort during grief. And as it’s likely that your loved one is not inclined to pick up a vacuum cleaner themselves, the gift of a house cleaner is a thoughtful way to demonstrate you care. You can use Care.com to find housekeepers in their local area, all of whom have been background-checked. (prices vary, Care.com)

Flowers are lovely, but they require upkeep and never last longer than a few days. (Plus, their house is probably already overwhelmed with sympathy bouquets.) Instead, consider sending them an easy-to-care-for indoor plant. This prayer plant — so named for the movement of its leaves throughout the day that mimic prayer hands — comes prepotted in a sleek white planter and will bring some light and life into their home. They only need to water it every one-to-two weeks to keep it thriving. ($64, Bouqs)

Consider this gift box a gentle reminder to take care of themselves. All box options come with a soft blanket, a hot drink of your choice, a mug, and a journal. From there you can choose what else you’d like to add, like a scented candle, biscotti, or a chocolate bar. It’s like a girls’ night in delivered to their doorstep. ($42.50+, WarmAndBeyond via Etsy)

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel here. Sending a thoughtful, handwritten note to a friend in mourning is more than enough to demonstrate to them how much you care. If you want to take it a step further than your drugstore-aisle card, order one of these pop-up sympathy cards from Lovepop. They come in so many different designs, and they all pop up to create a stunning 3D display, like a weeping willow tree, a dove, a single flower, or an entire bouquet of paper flowers that they can repurpose as decoration. Order it blank so you can write your note by hand, or write your note digitally and they’ll print and ship the card right to your loved one. (13+, Lovepop)

If their love language is coffee, this is your gift. This is a subscription service that delivers roasted, single-origin coffees from around the world each month, at the cadence of your choice (either three, six, or 12 months). You can also choose the type of beans you’d like to send and how many bags per order. Thoughtful extras include pretty postcards from each country represented in the order, tasting notes, and the history of each coffee. They’ll think of you every time they enjoy a cup. ($50+, Atlas Coffee)