Grief Gifts
Death and Grief have been all around us this week. We participated in our community Dia de los Muertos event, and met several families at our booth who have lost loved ones. We spoke of their family members, discussed their gravesites, and hopefully lent a friendly ear. It is important to keep their memories alive.
We also discovered that five families we know no longer have their loved ones with them—three due to illness, one car accident, and one a tragic circumstance. These five families are trying to navigate a world that has a hard time talking about death and grief, even though none of us is getting out alive.
We all know that we will die one day, but when it’s one of the people we love, grief and loss can be crippling. What can we do as family, friends, neighbors, and work colleagues? The one thing that we can’t do is nothing. Nothing is easy; something can mean everything. What are a few easy things we can do for someone who is grieving? Here are some ideas:
Drop off a meal. My favorite is homemade chicken noodle soup, sourdough bread with homemade ghee.
Send a meal through DoorDash
Send grief groceries
Wind chimes make a lovely grief gift. When I hear my wind chimes, I feel my dad is close.
Purchase a gift certificate for headstone cleaning. Purchase here, and we can mail a physical gift certificate to include in a sympathy card. Please note our service areas.
Send a Peace Lily plant, which symbolizes healing and hope.
Other options that don’t cost anything could mean even more to the person grieving. Here are a few free ideas:
Text that you are thinking of them with no obligation to text back.
Offer to research any memorial logistics
Offer practical help such as running errands, help with indoor/outdoor chores, and laundry
Be a supportive listener
We hope that if someone you know has lost a loved one, you now have some ideas to help them through the grieving process.
A gift certificate for a headstone cleaning is a thoughtful and unique grief gift.
A Peace Lily makes a wonderful grief gift.
Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead
A few years back, I started researching Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a Mexican tradition celebrated on November 1st and 2nd to honor and remember loved ones who passed away. Even though I am neither Mexican nor Catholic, I loved the idea of the tradition of remembrance rather than mourning. I know that my deceased family members would prefer us to celebrate their lives that way. I set out to learn more and found a graphic of the key items I needed to set up an altar. I also visited Denio’s Farmers Market and Swap Meet to look for key items, such as “Calaveras,” or skulls which are representations of deceased loved ones, marigold flowers (cempasúchil), and candles. After a successful trip, I started arranging all the elements thoughtfully to invite my spirits back for a visit. Taking the time to choose some of their favorite foods helped me reflect in a meaningful way to connect with my ancestors and celebrate life through remembrance. I was happy with how it turned out and hope to keep the tradition going for many years to come.