New Year and Grief: How to Help a Loved One Through Loss

Well, we’re all coming to the end of a very strange year. Whether you’ve been an essential worker and served the public armed with hand sanitizer and a mask, or you’ve been housebound and hoping you have enough toilet paper, 2020 has been distinctly weird.

It’s also been a very difficult time to stay connected to the people we love. A lot of us lost someone special this year, and now we face a new year without those precious loved ones. 

With a new vaccine on the horizon, things are looking up, but unfortunately, we’ll still be social distancing and having to be cautious for the first few months of 2021.

How can we help those who are grieving we care about when we are still so limited?

• Stay in Contact

Call, email and text often. They may not always be up to a phone call, but text that you’re thinking of them and that you care. When you can, ask if they’re up for a phone call, and don’t push if they say no.

This can be a very lonely time, and your goal here is to make your loved one feel less alone. Be the support system they need. 

Especially make sure to reach out on the anniversary of the loved one’s death and other important dates. Don’t put a time limit on these. Don’t expect them to recover by a certain date. Grief comes in waves.

• Send a Care Package or Gift Geared to Loss

These remembrance gifts from laurelbox are tastefully and sensitively put together for grieving souls, and are our personal favorite. 

You can actually shop for a specific loss, meaning the boxes are put together with thought to whatever kind of loss your loved one has experienced. Whether your friend or family member has suffered a miscarriage or is missing their spouse or parent, you’ll find a gift that shows your support.

You can make a one-time purchase, buy a subscription service where more than one care package will arrive on significant dates, buy an already assembled box, or build your own.

Hand choosing items will allow you to cater to your loved one’s style and tastes. 

You may find the holiday gifts particularly helpful as those times can be particularly hard on those grieving. 

If you’d like to send something more food-oriented, Harry and David have some lovely gift boxes, especially around the holidays, The goody boxes that also come with fruit are particularly nice. Sending a cake or other dessert will also allow them to have something special to serve or enjoy during the holidays without having to cook.

There’s also Spoonful of Comfort, which has soup and roll packages that are geared towards those who are mourning. But be careful. Food is usually the one item that’s brought over by the neighbors when these tragedies occur; make sure their freezer isn’t already full.

After some time has passed, sending a simple gift is a particularly thoughtful way to show support. For instance, a customizable best friend mug reminds the bereaved they still have people that care for them–even if they’re far away. 

• Plan for a Time You Can be Together

Make plans for the future. For many, facing a new year without their person can cause a lot of anxiety and dread. It can help your loved one if they have something to look forward to. 

Plan a trip. Itineraries, travel and searching for the best places along the way for sight-seeing can be a welcome distraction. 

When the quarantine is over, hit concerts, plays, classes–wherever their interests lie. A new year means new goals and learning new things. Have some adventures. You’re not making their sorrow disappear, but it’s often more bearable when they are living a fuller life.

Good luck! We are all in this together! You’ll be glad you reached out.