Dropping off food to a grieving friend is SUCH a gift to them. But there a few small ways you can make that gesture even more helpful and meaningful...

Let’s just say it like it is, talking about death is awkward.  Like super uncomfortable, weird, awkward.  What should I say? Do they want to talk about it? Do they not want to talk about it? Ahhh.  We long to validate one’s loss and ask how they are, while simultaneously trying to avoid making the elephant in the room the only topic. It’s a debacle; one that’s hard to navigate. There are no perfect words, only pure intentions...

A few months ago, I saw a post on social media about a precious little two year old named Vivian. Vivian had recently experienced an intense surgery which required a long stay in the hospital during her recovery. Her mother, Ashley, was also mama of two other kiddos. As a fellow mama, my heart went out to the family during this difficult season and I felt a tug on my heart to send them a laurelbox. I walked into my shipping office, and looked around. And while there were a few items that could work to send, I suddenly realized that our shop was lacking the perfect gifts to send someone spending a season in the hospital, dealing with chronic illness, battling cancer, or experiencing prolonged illness...

We talk and think a lot about sisterhood and community here at the laurelbox office. But talking about sisterhood and actual living sisterhood are two different things. So today, we are taking a step back, and reflecting on a few ways to bring about community with a grieving friend.  Community comes with acknowledgement.  When you acknowledge someone's loss, you acknowledge the life of the person they loved. And that acknowledgement speaks to the grievers heart, and brings beautiful bonds between hearts...

It’s hard to know what to say to someone who is grieving. Whether it's grief over the loss of a parent or spouse or child, or a miscarriage or stillbirth, it is tough knowing what to say in any case of loss. And everyone, at some point, will know someone who is grieving. I think our most natural response to grief involves words that try to make sense of the situation, to offer reasons behind the loss. And while those words are always from the best places in our heart, there is no way to reason away, or even make sense of grief. We can’t take away the pain and the grief, and our words need to reflect that...

After all the parties have been planned, after all the races have been run, after all the bread has been baked, life boils down to RELATIONSHIPS. As you travel down this dusty, winding road called life many women will cross your path, but only a few (a very few) will become your "GIRLFRIENDS." These gals, you will find, are very much like you... your morals, your values, and your sense of humor too. They will be there with a bottle of wine to celebrate with you... those wonderful times. When stormy times come, as they always do, these gals will be there to comfort you...

A few months ago, I felt like our social media pages were getting a little stale. I had lots of pretty pictures of pretty things...but laurelbox is about so much more than that. Something was missing. So I put out a call to our followers and asked them what they wanted. And the response was clear. Community. They wanted a place to come, share their stories, hear other stories, and find hope.