Gift ideas for the griever in your life
It's the most griefy time of the year after all!
The holidays are probably the most grief-y time of the year. Whether this is your first holiday without your person or this is your 30th holiday season without them, this time of the year brings up some BIG grief for many of us who are grieving. It is super tough to cope with an empty seat at the dinner table, or one less stocking on the mantle, or one less person who will be part of a holiday tradition.
If you’ve got a griever in your life, it can sometimes be really sticky navigating this time. Do you acknowledge how bittersweet this season feels? Do you continue old traditions or do you make new ones? And what exactly is an appropriate gift to get your griever?
Well I’m here to help you out with that last question. Here, I’ve listed a few gift ideas for the griever in your life. Caveat, none of these are affiliated links. In fact everything I’ve listed I’ve either bought for myself or for a fellow griever or was recommended to me by grievers in my life. I wanted to deliver a list that was griever-approved for you!
Memorial jewelry, for the griever who wants to keep their loved one close each day.
I recently purchased this ring for myself after a long search for memorial jewelry that could hold ashes since my dad was cremated. The company also offers necklaces and bracelets if your griever prefers those instead of rings! Or if you aren’t sure of their ring size!
Also, pro-tip, you (or your griever) can contact the funeral home that did the service for their loved one and they can fill these pieces with ashes so you don’t need to.
If your griever’s person wasn’t cremated, or cremation jewelry isn’t a good fit, you can get them a piece of jewelry with their person’s thumbprint. I know a few folks who wear a pendant made by Thumbies, a company that specializes in this type of memorial jewelry.
A coffee mug or a cozy sweatshirt that acknowledges just how grief-y the holiday season can be.
When I first saw that The Dinner Party had merch for the holiday season, I squealed with delight. And I immediately bought this mug and this sweatshirt which I plan on using and wearing all season long. Highly recommend for any griever in your life no matter who they lost or how long its been since their loss.
For the griever who loves a book or loves a list and wants grief support in bite sized pieces.
The folks over at What’s Your Grief created a great book which is a compilation of lists to help your griever work through loss. This is also a great option for grievers who are having a difficult time focusing or concentrating (a very common symptom of grief) since the lists are easily digestible. I found this really helpful in the first few months after my dad’s death.
When you aren’t sure what to get your griever, so you want a professional to help you out.
I adore Here For You, a company that curates gift packages for those who are going through a loss. I’ve sent a couple of packages to friends as a way to honor the death anniversary of their person and let them know I’m thinking of them. You can create your own package or you can go with suggestions made by Here For You.
You don’t have a griever in your life, but you still want to support grievers out there.
There are many grief organizations out there that are offering some great support and resources for us grievers. One of my favorites, and one I’m involved with, is The Dinner Party. They help connect young grievers so they can feel supported and find community as they grieve death loss. I’m currently the host of an in-person grief group here in Virginia Beach through The Dinner Party and it honestly is really amazing to connect with fellow grievers in person each month.
If you don’t have a griever in your life, but still want to help out, consider making a donation to them this holiday season.
Big hugs,
Melinda