One of the first things callers often mention is that they are looking for a meaningful and enduring sympathy gift, in addition to or more often in lieu of flowers. Sometimes they feel the need to have their expression of sympathy delivered to the funeral home, but most often they intend to send their bereavement gift straight to the family’s home, since that is where it will ultimately be used or displayed.

With funeral mores and traditions rapidly changing in the US, sympathy flowers are no longer de rigueur; today a whole host of thoughtful and enduring gift alternatives to flowers exist. While many memory gifts can be personalized, others are perfectly appropriate to send just as they are. Big Hug offers a wide array of comforting sympathy gifts and memorial gifts. Some of our more popular sympathy gifts include our line of Woodstock Amazing Grace wind chimes which can be personalized, our custom engraved garden memorial stones (as well as our “Memories of You” stone manufactured by one of the premier stone artists in the country), and our memorial angels that are appropriate for indoor or outdoor use.

Please know that it’s ok if a few days (or weeks) have passed; the most important thing is to acknowledge the loss with a card or a call as soon as you can. In fact, many people say that it’s the weeks and months that follow a loss that are the most difficult.

And remember, a hug is the perfect gift…one size fits all.