How to Show Up for Someone Grieving During the Holidays

The holidays are a time of laughter, joy, excitement, and wonder for many people. Getting extra days off work and spending more time with family are two things many people enjoy. There’s also warmth, holiday decorations, food, and a general sense of cheer. 

However, not everyone looks forward to this time of year. For some, the holidays can be marked by grief and painful memories instead of laughter and light. From sending sympathy gifts to creating new holiday traditions, here are some ways to show up for someone who’s grieving this holiday season.

Why the Holidays Can be a Hard Season

Even though the holidays are commonly referred to as “the most wonderful time of the year,” some might find this time of year especially hard.. While the world sings Christmas carols and opens presents, some people quietly suffer and hope to make it through the season.. As wonderful as winter is, it’s also a time when depression, illness, and death aren’t uncommon. 

Many people miss their departed loved ones more ferociously during the holidays, so it’s important to comfort them through their pain. There’s no need to sacrifice your own holiday traditions and happiness, but it’s also important to remember those who may be feeling isolated and lonely. 

How to Comfort Someone Who’s Grieving During the Holidays

It’s natural to wonder how to best show up for someone who’s sad during the holidays. You might worry about saying the wrong things or choosing the wrong gifts to send after a loss. 

Fortunately, there really isn’t a “wrong” way to show someone else you care. Whether you send a sympathy care package or simply offer to listen, here are some heartfelt ways to support someone who’s grieving this year.

Send Heartfelt Sympathy Gifts

Condolence gifts are specifically designed for times of loss and grief. They tend to be meaningful, soothing, uplifting, and thoughtful. A soup gift basket, memorial items, personalized keepsakes, and thoughtful notes make wonderful sympathy gifts. 

These types of gifts convey heartfelt sympathy and compassion while remaining sensitive to what the recipient is going through. Sending food gifts for grieving family members can be particularly helpful during a time when cooking may feel overwhelming. 

Acknowledge Their Loss

Sometimes, simply acknowledging what someone else is going through can help them feel like a burden has been lifted off their shoulders. One of the best bereavement gifts you can offer is your heartfelt sympathy and love, which can help the other person feel seen and understood.

When others may dance around the subject to avoid feeling uncomfortable, be the person who’s not afraid to be empathetic. If you’re unable to be there in person to comfort someone who’s grieving, send them your condolences in a card or letter. 

Ask if They’d Like to Talk

A listening ear is one of the most meaningful sympathy gift ideas you can offer. If you’re not sure whether your neighbor, coworker, or friend wants to talk about their grief, simply ask them. Kindly let them know you’d love to hear about what they’re going through, if they’d like to talk about it. 

Set aside adequate time to hear them out if they choose to talk to you. You don’t want to have to cut them off while they’re pouring out their heart because you have somewhere else to be.  

Offer Practical Help

Sympathy gift baskets and condolence food delivery services are wonderful gifts to send someone who’s feeling lonely and sad during the holidays. You can make these gifts even more meaningful by also offering practical help. 

For example, you might offer to clean a grieving friend’s house before the holidays arrive. Or you might offer to pick up some groceries for them while you’re at the store. It’s usually better to offer specific acts of service rather than to ask open-ended questions, such as “What do you need?” or “How can I help you?”

Create New Traditions to Honor Their Loved One

Often, people who are grieving fear that they’ll forget their lost loved one over time. They want to do everything they can to honor their loved one’s memory and include them in all the big holidays. It can be a fulfilling experience to create new holiday traditions that honor a friend or family member who’s passed on. 

For example, you could visit a grave site or light a candle in memory of the departed every Christmas Eve. You could also donate to a charity or send a soup care package to someone in need in your loved one’s name.  

Respect Their Boundaries

Being able to laugh, love, and cry with someone else through all the stages of grief can be liberating and healing. However, some people don’t feel comfortable opening up to others about their private grief and sorrow, and that’s OK. 

If you know someone like this, respect their boundaries and never push them to be vulnerable. Instead, show your love without being intrusive in any way. Let them know you’re there for them whenever they’re ready to talk. You could also send them a care package delivery if they prefer to be alone during the holidays.

Conclusion

If you know someone who’s recently lost a loved one or who gets seasonal depression, the next few months could be especially difficult for them. A sympathy care package or other thoughtful gift could help make the holidays just a little brighter and warmer. Use these heartfelt gift ideas to show up for someone who needs you more than ever this holiday season.