Take Initiative

When someone we know is experiencing grief we don't always know exactly what we should do. Do we let them take the lead and call us? Do we send a card and offer help, but let them take initiative? What is the right thing to do, and for how long?
First thing, be the one who takes the initiative. Your friend is grieving and her memory may be very short at this time. Don't expect her to remember who said they would help when a card was sent. Call from time to time to check up on your friend and continue to offer your help. Be specific with errands you think you could run for her that would help. Drop off a dinner, don't wait to be asked. Most times people will not ask, so here is a great time to just take the initiative and assume it will be appreciated. To make it convenient put it in a throw away container, mark and date it and offer to put it in the freezer for her.
Offer to take the kids to the park or run them to practice. If she does have younger kids she may not have had time to properly grieve since she is trying to stay strong for her kids. An offer to let the kids get out will be appreciated in many ways.
If you know your friend is going to a bereavement group, offer to go along. Support can go along way, even if it is just being there.
Remember the holidays, this can be one of the most difficult times during the first few years. A quick call, an invite to dinner or even a card just letting them know you are remembering them during this difficult time will go along way to show you care.

Above all, be genuine. Do for your friend what you would hope someone would do for you. You can't go wrong ever, by showing someone you truly do care.

How Do I Help Someone In The Hospital?

Even with family there are a lot of things that still need to be taken care of when someone has to have an extended stay in the hospital. Usually family will be near their loved one and this means errands and normal household chores still need to be done. This article will expand on some ways to offer a helping hand to someone who finds themselves in a medical emergency.

The first things you want to do is to get permission and a house key. Let the family know what you would like to do. Your friend may not be able to give permission but extended family can. Get an idea of how long they are expected to be in the hospital and time your help accordingly.

If there are pets, consider bringing the pet to your house to be watched why they are in the hospital. Many families have dogs, cats or other critters that need food and water daily. It can bring comfort to the patient to know their animals are still receiving great care.

If there are children young or old offer to run them to school, pick them up, drop them off at activities. Depending on how many extended family members are around this may not be something that is needed, but offering it and being willing to do it will show just how much you want to help.

Offer to purchase groceries for the family still at home. Unless the person lives alone there is bound to be hungry people who would rather spend time with their loved one then grocery shopping.

Pre make several healthy soups and light meals. Label, date and freeze these meals. Nothing will say I care more then coming home from an extended hospital stay to healthy wholesome meals ready to go. Simple beef broth soups, chicken and rice soup, bean soups as well as small portion pasta dishes will be so appreciated as they regain their strength.

Another simple yet mundane task is preparing the house for their arrival back home. A quick dusting, vacuuming, and wiping down the bathroom would allow for them to relax instead of seeing what needs to be done. Hang fresh towels in the bathrooms and kitchen, make sure dishes are washed and any laundry is done and put away. Opening the windows and airing out the house for a few hours before they arrive will assure a welcoming environment to come home to.

Setting up a favorite chair or bedside table with recent magazines, fresh flowers, and a sympathy gift basket filled with healthy snacks will greet your friend and make them feel like a million bucks. Place all their mail in a simple basket along with a garbage can next to the table and they will be set and ready to continue the healing process.


For even more tips on showing sympathy and unique sympathy gifts, visit PlanetGiftBaskets.com

We Send Sympathy Gifts

We Send Sympathy Gifts

A Unique Way To Help Someone Who Is Grieving

Scrapbooking is a method for preserving personal and family history in the form of a scrapbook. Typical memorabilia include photographs, printed media, and artwork. Scrapbook albums are often decorated and frequently contain extensive journaling. Scrapbooking is a widely practiced pastime in the United States. (from Wikipedia)

Scrapbooking and designing scrapbooks are a huge part of some people's lives. After a devastating loss, some people do not know what to do to show comfort to the grieving.
Why not help to build a lovely scrapbook for the person or family who is grieving. For more information on Sympathy Gifts, read this article about Scrapbooking.

When You Grow Apart, Your Heart Can Hurt.

Sister for always................
Growing up in a close knit family is something I want to recreate for my children. Mom, Dad, my sister and I were like the four musketeers. I know. There are only three, but you know what I mean. One for all and all for one. We did everything together.
I have great memories of my childhood. We had a pool. Every Tuesday my Mom put a red flag up and that let the neighbor kids know that it was open swim. Sometimes mom would cook hot dogs or one of the other mothers would bring over peanut butter and jelly. I can still picture my sister on an air mattress while I swam behind her kicking, pretending like I was the propeller. Good times for sure.
Hiking was what my dad loved. He knew every trail in the southern part of our state. Saturday mornings we were usually up early and ready to go on a new adventure. We were the wilderness family.
My favorite time of the year was Christmas. Dad got on the roof the day after Thanksgiving and hung the lights and then we had hot chocolate together and thought how beautiful the house looked. Shopping, caroling, baking, we did it all and made beautiful and new memories every year.
But then all that changed. My sisters freshman year of college she met the love of her life. At first things were great, but over time she began to change. Over the years it because clear that my sister’s now husband did not want to be any part of our family. I never really can figure out why... It broke our hearts because he did not encourage her to see us either.
Every Christmas the same problem comes up. What to do for my sister and her family?  It hurts to think about.  It would break my heart to do nothing and yet I want to be sensitive also.
Holiday gift baskets the article read.  It told how I could pick out the items I wanted to send and they would be packaged in a Christmas theme and sent right to the house. And so I ordered my basket and had it sent. Somewhere in the bottom on my heart I still believe that my sister remembers all our adventures we had growing up and in her heart she is still part of the four musketeers. I have to believe…..

What Will You Do When You Lose A Loved One To Death?

How many times have you tried to imagine what life would be like without a significant person in your life?  We all do it. We think about how we will react and what we might do to carry on. When you lose a friend or family member you can spiral into the grieving cycle. An unexpected death in the family can be a devastating tragedy.  What can you do to prepare yourself?

If your loved one endured a long illness,  you can prepare to some extent. But, it can be painful and heartbreaking, even if you think you are prepared.  How can you possibly prepare yourself for that kind of loss? Where can you turn?

Many people turn to their faith to get them through a tough time. Your church or place of worship can offer sympathy in a variety of ways. If you are plugged in to a church that has programs that support loss, they can offer relief from tragic moments in life. Some churches offer services such as sympathy gift baskets filled with books and food for the hurting. Some offer counseling, others offer meal delivery. All can help you through a rough patch in life.

The emotions can be intensified if you suddenly lose someone in an accident or some other tragic event when you never even had the chance to say goodbye. You can go into shock and not know where to turn. You also have so many things to do during this time of grieving.  You must prepare for the wake or memorial service and the funeral, along with getting the word out to friends and relatives. You need someone in your life that can help you take care of everything. Someone willing to show sympathy like giving you sympathy gifts that can help ease the hole in your heart.

Sometimes after the funeral or memorial service is when you need the most support. Many people will send sympathy cards and gifts. Some people will send angels to watch over you or memorial gifts like garden stones or a personalized frame. All of these ideas can help the hurting person deal with the grief of losing a loved one.

When you receive gifts or gourmet gift baskets, you need to remember to send a thank you card or note.

Thanking everyone who helped you through a tough time is appreciated by many people. It also gives you a chance to touch base with people who love you. Don't forget your church or place of worship, your friends and those who have brought meals or food to you. When my mother in law passed away. The family sorted through all the gifts and cards and we made a list of all the people who needed a thank you. We then divided the list by all the kids and we all were able to write some thank you cards. When you divide them up, you can write more from your heart because you have less cards to write. The cards are meaningful to the people who gave the gifts and who attended the services.

Inspirational Words by Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon
(June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892) was a British Preacher who was known as the "Prince of Preachers".
In his lifetime, Spurgeon preached to around 10,000,000 people. People still look to his sermons for inspiration. When I read this passage, it really helped with a recent death in my own life and I wanted to pass it along.

"O children of God! death hath lost its sting. It is sweet to die; to lie upon the breast of Christ, and have one's soul kissed out of one's body by the lips of divine affection. And you that have lost friends, or that may be bereaved, sorrow not as those who are without hope. What a sweet thought the death of Christ brings us concerning those who are departed! They are gone, my brethren; but do you know how far they have gone? The distance between the glorified spirits in heaven and the militant saints on earth seems great; but it is not so. We are not far from home" Charles Spurgeon