One of the hardest questions to wrestle with is what to do with your loved one’s personal belongings. Only you should decide what should be done with his or her belongings. Don’t allow others to make decisions for you.

Others may want to “speed up” your healing by advising you to go through belongings, which may not be helpful to your personal healing timetable. Early in your grief, you simply will not have the energy to do the task.

You can handle this when you are ready. You may want to leave personal items untouched for months or years. This is okay, as long as such actions don’t inhibit your daily functioning or healing. For example, one bereaved mother left her child’s room as it was for years after the loss. This had no ill-effect on the mother and did not interfere with her healing.

I simply never went through many of my mother’s belongings. My step father was able to go through her clothes without my assistance, but I did keep the task of going through more precious items like jewelry and sentimental items.

I found some clay roses my mom tucked away that I made for her when I was only about 10 or 11. I also found all the cards I had given to her over the years neatly tucked together. Thus, you may find some items that were meaningful to your loved one that you never knew about that can be a sweet surprise.
Again, you know what is right for you.
Do not let others convince you otherwise.
Chelsea

How do you go about expressing your sympathy to someone who has just lost someone close to them? It seems like nothing could possibly be significant enough to help ease the pain and help them through their loss. Nothing seems relevant when compared to the severe grief that person is experiencing. Sometimes you have to think outside the box when it comes to finding just the right gift to express your condolences to someone who has experienced death. An angel is the perfect way to help someone work through their grief and remember their loved one for many years to come.

“Safe Hands of God” Angel

Angels have the unique ability to bring comfort and peace to those who are mourning. An angel statue is a reminder that their loved one is up in heaven, “safe in the hands of God.” This angel is beautifully crafted, featuring birch wood accents and intricate pewter detailing. The angel is also inscribed with this heartfelt message:

Angels are always near to those who are grieving to whisper to them that their loved ones are safe in the hands of God.

“Heaven’s Angel” Child Remembrance

Parents who have suffered the death of a child can find comfort knowing that the angels in Heaven are now taking care of their son or daughter. This musical angel is a lovely way to remember a child and can be placed in the child’s room or other memorial within the home.

Angel of Comforting Presence

This angel is universally comforting to anyone who is grieving the death of someone close to them. The angel is beautifully adorned with dimensional folk art patterns, and her wings wrap around her as a symbol of comfort and protection. The angel is inscribed with the saying, “May you feel His comforting presence.”

There are so many ways to show someone your support during their time of grief, but few gifts are as comforting as an angelic statue that can be place in the home. Angels serve as a reminder that your loved one is now in heaven in the company of angels, protected by God.

Related articles

• An Angel’s Prayer (withsympathygifts.com)
• Are you the ONE who can make a difference? (withsympathygifts.com)

What can you do for someone who has been diagnosed with cancer? Cancer is a powerful disease that can make even the strongest feel powerless when faced with the diagnoses. You wish you could just make it go away, but you can’t. So the next best thing is to help them through it and show your support. Giving gifts to someone who has cancer can be a thoughtful way to show you care.

You can show support in a number of ways, but a heartfelt gift can be just the thing that lifts their spirits on a particularly dark day. The right gift can help the person through the struggle in times when you personally cannot. Here are some ideas of  gifts to give to someone who is battling cancer to help them fight on.

Motivate

Although cancer is a physical illness, you can’t deny the power of a good positive mental attitude. However, keeping a positive attitude and finding the strength to fight on isn’t easy. Help your loved one stay motivated with a motivational keep sake. Something they can look at every day as a reminder to keep fighting.

This “Have Hope” Sign and “What Cancer Cannot Do” sign have wonderful motivational messages. Help your loved one hang the sign somewhere they will see it everyday and stay motivated.

Inspire

Death is a reality for everyone, but when faced with a terminal illness, it becomes much more immanent. People realize that they need to make use of their precious time on earth and live life to the fullest. Give your loved one something inspiring. Something to breathe life into their hopes and dreams.

This “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching” sign exudes life and the happiness that comes to those who live everyday as if it were their last.

Encourage

Sometimes a word of encouragement and support is all a person needs to get through a tough day. Anyone suffering from cancer is going to have their fair share of tough days, and you might not always be around to reach out to them. Give your loved one something like these Charms of Encouragement to keep with them at all times.

So what do you get for someone who is suffering from cancer? Something that will resonate with your loved one and bring value well beyond the day you gave the gift.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6664437

If you are experiencing grief, Christmas can be one of the hardest times of the year.  And Christmas is especially hard if it is your first Christmas without your loved one.   To survive the holiday season, consider these grief support holiday survival tips:

1. Know your limits.  If you are tired or don’t feel like doing something, you can choose not to do it.  The most important thing you need to do is care for yourself right now.  Your friends and family will understand if you choose not to join in some activities.

2. You can say no.  If you are invited to some holiday parties, but may not feel like going, it is okay to say no.  Others may want to see you out and about , as they simply do not like to see you in pain.  If you choose to decline some activities, a reason does not have to be given.

3.  Less is More.  Perhaps, it might be too painful to put up the tree without the person you lost.  Perhaps you don’t want to decorate your home the way you used too.  Maybe you don’t want to send out Christmas cards because the signature will be different.  Keeping things simple may help you feel less overwhelmed.  If you like, you can add some of the activities back in next year or the year after.

• 12 Simple Tips – How to Support a Grieving Friend this Holiday (withsympathygifts.com)
• Holiday Grief Support Resources (ididnotknowwhattosay.wordpress.com)
• Grief Doesn’t Take a Holiday (storybooksforhealing.com)
• Grief during the Holidays (boomergrief.com)

Dance Like No One is Watching

Hi, Chelsea here….Came across Rules for a Good Life and thought you might enjoy…#2 is my favorite and #3 is my next favorite.  Part of the reason I work in the grief support area is that I don’t think there is anything more important than to help someone who lost a loved one.  Thus, I do #2 with my whole heart!  See which rule is your favorite.  P.S.  I also like #16!

1. Be kind. (Include yourself.)
2. Find something you love to do and do it flat out – with your whole heart, fully engaged – as often as you can.
3. Stop doing things you hate. Quit boredom. Give up worry. Wean yourself away from agreements that compromise your integrity and contracts (especially those unspoken, unwritten ones) that give you a stomachache.
4. Tell the truth – begin with the truth about what you really want, who you really are. Jot down that thing you obsess about; that idea rolling around in the back of your mind. Promote that dream from ‘fantasy’ to ‘vision’ and start sketching out an action plan.
5. Share. Right now. Even though you don’t have much – no matter how humble, a thoughtful gift is a gesture of such grace.
6. Be encouraging - even when you’re not sure how they’ll EVER make money with that. (Remember: even the most successful people must take practice runs; you never know what skill someone’s building.)
7. Wear natural fibers. Cotton, silk, wool, linen. They just feel better.
8. Add beauty to the world. (include the world you live in, your home, your body, your cubicle.)
9. Leave room for silences – in conversation; and in your day.  Find a place where you can be alone with your thoughts and go there.
10. If you don’t know how to help someone who’s suffering, instead of worrying about them, say a prayer on their behalf. Then, trust the angels to deliver the support they need.
11. Eat food that tastes good and, once eaten, leaves you feeling energized. Avoid food that leaves you feeling bloated, angry, spaced out or sick.
12. Plant things in soil… actual soil. Preferably outside.
13. Drink more water.
14. Get enough sleep.
15. Wear a hat that covers your ears in winter. In the summer, don’t forget the sunscreen.
16. Naps are nice.

• Your Guardian Angel’s Day (fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com)
• Energy Energy I Am a Conduit For Energy | RenamixTech (angelicwords.wordpress.com)

It is beautiful here in Wisconsin, the perfect Fall day with colors of the leaves starting to turn.  I enjoyed my son’s first teacher conference as we admired the beautiful changing landscape.

The changing leaves remind me that as the seasons change, so do our lives. Like the beautiful, natural world around us, we, too, go through our own changes, month-to-month and year-to-year. Change can come with aging, moving, finding love, and losing a loved one.

The colors of the fall leaves are a beautiful testament to the change that is with all of us. Most people resist change. It’s scary, un-tested, and full of unknowns. But, change can bring renewal, refreshment, and untapped energy that we never knew existed…we can grow closer to our authentic self.

Living Today – With Sympathy Gifts and Keepsakes

This fall season, as we admire the beauty that is around us, take inspiration from the falling leaves and look within to change some of your own colors. You may be pleasantly surprised with your own personal change of season.

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Sympathy gifts can take many different shapes and forms, but the underlying sentiment remains the same.  It’s a unique and special way to keep the memory of a lost loved one alive and ease the pain of grief.  Gifts at this particular time can often be more expressive than words, since it can be difficult to find the right thing to say.  But a heartfelt gift can embody your support and care just perfectly.

Sympathy Gift Ideas – Music Boxes

Designed to give comfort to those who are grieving, gifts of remembrance can go far beyond the average expression of condolence.  Far more than a bouquet of flowers or a sympathy card, these tokens are a way of paying tribute to the loved one who has passed and reaching out to those who are grieving.  They can even be personalized to add a special touch.

How meaningful would it be to have a music box that plays an inspirational song or a picture frame that can hold images from happier times?  Perhaps the grieving person would appreciate a stepping stone for the garden or an angel statue to remind of them of the beautiful soul they have lost.  There are any number of ways that gifts can express our love for someone who is gone and our support of those who grieve.

Related articles

• An Expression of Sympathy From the Heart (withsympathygifts.com)
• Sympathy Gifts Bring Some Light to Those Grieving (withsympathygifts.com)
• Grief and Bereavement Support: Consider a A Healing Journal (withsympathygifts.com)

There are no magic words that can erase the pain and sorrow felt by individuals who are grieving.  And everyone grieves in their own way and at their own pace.  It can be difficult to know exactly how to react but it is important to realize that sometimes just being there and listening is the best form of support.  If you want to offer your support in a more tangible way, then a remembrance gift can be the perfect gesture.

Sympathy Gift - In Loving Memory Cross

There are no magic words that can erase the pain and sorrow felt by individuals who are grieving.  And everyone grieves in their own way and at their own pace.  It can be difficult to know exactly how to react but it is important to realize that sometimes just being there and listening is the best form of support.  If you want to offer your support in a more tangible way, then a remembrance gift can be the perfect gesture.

Taking a step beyond the traditional sympathy card or bouquet of flowers, there are many ways to remember your loved ones or offer support and encouragement to grieving friends.  A garden stone or wind chime can bring peace and tranquility, or perhaps a beautifully framed photo or inspirational saying can express the feelings you want to share.

A piece of jewelry with a relevant word or saying can be the perfect way to keep a deceased loved one close to your heart.  Ornaments that include a picture enable departed to be included in holiday celebrations, helping to ease the pain of separation that can be particularly difficult at moments like those.  And with specially designed sympathy gifts, this kind of remembrance can even be extended to beloved pets that have come and gone from our lives.

Inspirational books can also be an ideal way to offer encouragement and support.  As the grieving individual draws strength from the carefully chosen words, they’ll be able to reflect not only on the loved one they’ve lost but also on the thoughtful friend who reached out to them in this special way.  It can have more of an impact than you’d ever imagine.

For More Gestures of Kindness:

• An Expression of Sympathy From the Heart (withsympathygifts.com)
• Grief Support: Express your sympathy with a memorial gift (withsympathygifts.com)
• Remember Lost Loved Ones with Memorial Keepsakes (withsympathygifts.com)
• Beyond Condolences: A Gift of Remembrance (withsympathygifts.com)

3 Wonderful Tips to Support a Grieving Heart:

Image by Rawbert via Flickr

1. Reminisce. Continue to reminisce with your friend about his or her loved one’s life. Sharing fond memories is a wonderful way to provide comfort. Remember, talking about the deceased will not hurt or upset the person grieving. In fact, it is just the opposite, your friend will appreciate that you are talking about their loved one. Please know that it is okay to talk about someone who passed away, and it is helpful to use the deceased’s name in conversations.

2. Be yourself. Speak in a way and behave in a way that is natural for you. Continue the same relationship you had before: close friend, acquaintance, friendly neighbor, or work buddy. Offer help only if you are able to follow through, and in a way that makes sense in your life. Can you drive the carpool? Offer to drop off a meal? Mow the lawn once a week without even knocking on the door? Take the kids on a play date for the afternoon?

3. Learn about and understand grief. To understand what you friend is going through, do your best to learn about grieving. Everyone grieves differently, and there is no timetable on grief. By having an understanding of the process, you will have more compassion and be able to support your friend. Being a friend to the grieving will not always be easy. Your friend has changed and will continue to change as he or she journeys through grief. Your gift of support, however, will always be remembered and cherished by your friend.

Related articles

• Your Friend’s Grief is Unique (withsympathygifts.com)
• Virtual Book Tour – Interview with Chelsea Hanson, Author of the Sympathy Matters Collection (ididnotknowwhattosay.wordpress.com)
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