One of the most common ways to send your condolences to a family when they’ve experienced the loss of a loved one is, of course, to send flowers. Sending flowers is a time-honored tradition, and is understood by most folks in our culture as a reasonable way to show your respects for the deceased and to offer your support to the family that remains behind.
In some cases, however, you may want to do something other than send flowers in order to pay your final respects. Here are a number of different things you can do if you choose not to send flowers:
- Send a live plant. Flowers die in a week, but a potted plant can be taken home by the family and planted in a garden to be remembered for years to come.
- Make a donation. If the deceased was an advocate for a particular group or charity, you might consider making a donation in their honor. The temptation can be to choose to donate to a cause that’s near and dear to your heart, but try instead to identify an organization that the deceased would appreciate. Many charity organizations have a memorial donation program of some sort.
- Send a video or photographic memorial. If you have pictures or videos of the deceased, you can share them with the family and friends.
- Send gift certificates. You might consider sending a gift certificate to a maid service for a month, for example. Many folks in mourning don’t want to have to deal with some of those in and out details of daily life, and this gives them a little bit of a respite.
- Make some food. Many families will receive lots of food in the beginning, so you might consider waiting until things calm down a bit. Provide an entire meal for the family, or even just an entrée that can be reheated.
- Create a work of art. If you have artistic ability, musical talent or can compose a heartfelt poem, consider giving one of these unique types of gifts to the family to offer them some comfort during their rough time.