Is someone in your life going through a hard time and you want to console them with a gift? Choosing a sympathy gift can sometimes be an arduous task, especially since you’re not sure how the recipient will take your gesture in their situation. This makes it important to be extremely thoughtful on what to choose as a sympathy gift.
Let’s walk together and go through a few things you need to put in mind when picking a commiseration present.
Table of Contents
What Exactly Is A Sympathy Gift – With Examples?
In the simplest of terms, a gift of sympathy is something you give to (or do for) a person to help comfort them and support them emotionally after they have suffered a loss. Even though there are many types of sympathy gifts, flowers are the most common way to show a gesture to a bereaved or grieving person. Other common options include:
- Cards
- Letters
- Money
- Service gifts
- A treat, perhaps a vacation
- Photo album
- Keepsake box
Crucial Considerations When Picking One
1. The Most Appropriate Gift
As previously stated, a commiseration gift could be anything you think the recipient will find comforting. Something that will help them feel better as they recover from their grief or loss.
The rule of thumb is to pick a gift that is appropriate to the person’s situation, without forgetting that some cultures and religions have restrictions on what you can send as a condolence offering.
When it comes to monetary gifts, one of the best options is to honour the deceased by donating to a charity they might have been involved in.
2. Consider Personalizing It
Sympathy gestures can have a million times more impact if you go ahead and add a personal touch to the item. This is why handwritten cards are always a great way of honouring a deceased person while comforting the surviving family members.
If you can’t get hold of a condolence card, you can always write a note and have it accompany your gift item, whether it’s flowers or money. Hand-delivering the gift will mean even more to the recipient if the distance is not an issue.
3. The Appropriate Time to Send It
Sympathy gifting doesn’t stop at picking the perfect gift. It is also good gift-giving etiquette to send your gift at the right time. To be on the safe side, consider sending your item at least 1 or 2 weeks after you receive the news.
Picking the best time will also depend on how well you know the recipient. In the case of bereavement, for instance, it could either be before the funeral or afterwards. Gifting after the funeral is usually considered better. This is because the person is more likely to be nearing the depression or acceptance stages of grief.
4. Service as a Gift
When the intended recipient is in mourning, a tangible item may not always be the best gift for them. Perhaps what they need most is company or assistance with their daily lifestyle tasks related to their loss. There are so many ways you can provide service as a gift.
You could, for instance, accompany your mourning friend to yoga or gym to help them blow off some steam and ward off stress. If you’re an experienced photographer, you could offer to take pictures at the funeral free of charge. It could also be something that makes the person’s life a bit less difficult, like helping out with laundry, babysitting the kids, and so forth.
Nothing is more comforting to a person who has just suffered loss than a gesture of kindness from the people around them. Sympathy gifts serve as a great way to calm such a person and let them know that life has to go on. Hopefully, the few tips above will help you pick and send the most thoughtful gift of sympathy when and if that time comes.
