Thoughtful Sympathy Gifts

After cremations as part of the cremation services offered in Dayton, OH, you may decide that you want to let the bereaved family to know that you are thinking about them and they have your sympathy. While a sympathy card is always appropriate and appreciated, there are other thoughtful ways that you can convey your message of support in the wake of a death.

One idea is to send a memorial planter box. The box can be personalized to memorialize the loved one who has died, with something like, “In loving memory of” followed by the person’s name and their year of birth and year of death. The grieving family can use the planter box to put potted plants in while having a visual reminder of their loved one.

Another idea for a sympathy gift is a care package. You can make this yourself, and include essentials like tissues, toilet paper, and paper towels, as well as some food items (either homemade or store-bought, but they should be items of high quality). You can wrap them up and put them in a decorate box or basket to deliver to the bereaved family.

Planting trees in memory of someone who has died is a great way to express sympathy. Not only are you doing something good for the environment, but you are also creating a permanent memorial. Be sure to let the family know where the tree is being planted, so that they can visit it.

Another great sympathy gift is to make a memorial donation to a charity in the name of the loved one who has died. There are several ways to make this personal for the person who died. You can donate to a charity they supported or one that is directly related to them.

For example, if they died from a particular disease, then you can make a donation to a nonprofit organization that supports that disease or is involved in research about that disease. If the person was an organ donor, you can make a sympathy donation to the donor organization that harvested their organs.

Be sure to include the family’s name and address, so that they will receive notification from the charitable organization letting them know that a donation has been made in their loved one’s name.

Books can be great sympathy gifts, even if the grieving family may not read them for a while. One book that is popular is C.S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed. An introspective reflection on what life and death mean and are, It was written by Lewis as he grieved the death of his wife. There are many other very good books about grief and grieving that you can give to express your sympathy.

Another great sympathy gift is a gift card for self-care, such as a day at a spa or a massage. Many people who are grieving are so overwrought with the aftermath of losing someone that they love that they neglect to take care of themselves. A gift card for a service that will allow them some relaxation and down time is a great way to show you care about them and are concerned about them.

A final idea for a sympathy gift is a memory chest. This is where keepsakes of the person who has died can be kept. The cover of the chest has a plaque that you can have engraved with the loved one’s name and dates of birth and death.

For more information about cremation services offered in Dayton, OH, our caring and knowledgeable staff at Glickler Funeral Home & Cremation Service is here to assist you. You can visit our funeral home at 1849 Salem Ave., Dayton, OH 45406, or you can call us today at (937) 278-4287.