A sympathy gift is simply a gift or acknowledgement given to someone who is grieving or walking through a loss of some kind. Sympathy gifts are a way to show love, support and offer hope to a friend, co-worker or loved one. Grief can feel very isolating. When you, as a friend, reach out to the person walking through a challenging time and offer encouragement, it’s meaningful and comforting. Spring provides a great opportunity to focus on renewal and reflection during a season of grief. The poet Anne Bradstreet famously wrote, “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” As we walk out of the winter and leave behind shorter days and colder temperatures, we approach the promise of new beginnings and new life. This transition correlates with many grief journeys and so as the ground thaws, consider how your selection of spring sympathy gifts might lift up the spirits of a grieving loved one. 

Take a few minutes and read through this article titled “Lean Into Spring” or send to those grieving. It’s a very accurate depiction of “the audacity of spring” as you navigate a winter of loss. If I’m being honest, spring was complicated for me for quite some time. My husband and I (we were high school sweethearts and will celebrate 20 years of marriage in January!) walked through a difficult season in our marriage during spring many years ago and so for quite some time, blooming flowers and warmer temps brought painful memories. Then, we unexpectedly lost our second son Cooper at full term on March 18, 2016 and spring (again) became associated with pain and hurt. It’s taken time and healing but thankfully, spring brings me more joy than sadness. If you have a similar story, know that it will get easier. Year by year, season by season the days hold more hope than disappointment.  If you are a person of faith, spring brings holidays. Easter speaks to resurrection and the eternal hope of heaven. Passover brings reminders of God’s provision and deliverance during challenging times. 

If you’ve read this blog before, you may have heard me admit my struggle to keep plants alive. I want to be clear, I am *not* a gardener. However, I have many loved ones who are and reached out to a few of them to ask why they love gardening and how it’s helped them through grief. My amazing Aunt Tracy had this to share about how gardening has helped her process loss. 

“What I have seen in loss in the garden is that there is always restoration, whether it be from an ice storm, a tornado, a flood or a hurricane. We've painfully experienced all of the above which have destroyed things we loved. But we have learned that in time, God's restoration is beyond our imagination… Working in a garden gives me quiet time to spend with God, talking to Him and doing the things I know he does with me......planting, nurturing, pruning (ouch), moving, changing me. And bearing the storms that come, which can easily knock me down.”

We’ve talked a lot on the blog about how special personalized gifts are for the recipient. Seeing a loved one’s name, birthday, or other unique engraving elevates a sympathy gift from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Consider choosing a personalized stepping stone or garden plaque for the gardener in your life. If you know a friend loves being outside in nature, this type of sympathy gift is a thoughtful way to create a place for them to remember their loved one. Laurelbox offers a variety of sympathy garden gifts in this category. The custom memorial garden stake is only $17 and could work in both a larger garden or even a potted sympathy succulent in an apartment. When we lost our second son Cooper at full term, I was given a personalized stepping stone with his name on it. It was such a thoughtful gift that I smile at to this day. 

Let me just say, in the category of garden memorial gifts, memorial wind chimes are a wonderful choice! With each breeze, the melodic sounds of wind chimes bring thoughts and memories of the person they are given in honor of. Shortly after my stepfather lost his battle to cancer, a relative sent us customized wind chimes with his name, birthday and anniversary of his passing. They hang right outside my sunroom and I love hearing them. The grief windchimes Laurelbox offers are gorgeous and make such good sympathy gifts for garden lovers. The tink tink of bells can be a source of solace to your grieving friend. 

Seeds are the beginning of new life. They provide a tangible reminder that “to everything there is a season.” Planting seeds is a physical act that can help someone process a loss within the stages of grief. Seed packets are a wonderful addition to a sympathy gift basket. Whether they are butterfly garden seed kits, plantable seed paper, or cardinal seed kits, they all will provide a reminder of the loved one’s legacy. For another sympathy plant idea, memorial trees make wonderful garden memorial gifts. My mom and sister gave us two weeping cherry trees in honor of Cooper and they bloom every spring (right around his birthday) and they bring us yearly reminders and bittersweet joy. As they’ve grown taller and taller, I feel like my grief journey has matured just the same. 

We hope this blog has been able to spark some creative ways you can support your grieving friend during the upcoming spring season. No matter what time of year it is, don’t miss an opportunity to offer your love and support with a thoughtful personalized sympathy gift. Use these sympathy gift ideas as a motivator to get your friend out in nature, moving along the path to healing.