Bereavement gifts promote healing through the grieving process. They are gifts that are comforting to the bereaved and meet basic needs for:

• Acknowledgement
• Remembrance
• Experiencing and sharing grief

The number one thing that a grieving person needs is to go through the grieving process. Grief and bereavement specialists say that avoiding grief worsens the situation. Pretending nothing happened, not sharing your pain or bottling up your emotions causes more problems.

There is a saying, I think it goes like this: "You cannot get around grief, you must go through it."

There is also another wonderful saying that goes: "A sorrow shared, is a sorrow halved."

We cannot avoid grief, but going through it can be made easier by the support of friends and family. A great way to do this is by giving special gifts.

Gifts that don't seek to minimize sorrow. Gifts that encourage healing and expressing grief.

Here are some ideas that you may not have thought of as being sympathy gifts, but they might be very helpful to a grieving loved one.

• Aromatherapy candles
• Music
• Spa gift baskets
• Soft blankets and pillows
• Massage gift certificates
• A journal or a diary

One of my favorite retailers, Comfort Company, offers the First Year of Grieving Care Package.

The is a wonderful gift to comfort and support a grieving loved one.

How Bereavement Music Helps the Grieving Process

Music is a gift that brings hope and comfort through even the darkest times. Bereavement music can be any music that is comforting or soothing to the bereaved. There may be certain songs that are significant to their relationship with their departed loved one. Some songs may bring back good memories and help them recall their loved one.

It will be easier to select music for someone you know well. You may even be able to make them a special CD, a mix of songs you know they will like.

There are musicians who make music specifically for grieving people, like Josh Groban. Classical, music for meditation, nature sounds, harp music are all excellent choices for bereavement music.

I am sure you have experienced how music affects your emotions, nerves and thoughts. It makes sense that the right kind of music can be a source of comfort to the bereaved.

Music therapy is a growing field of research, discovering new ways to treat various disorders. It has been proven that music can have a tremendous impact on our well-being, for example:

• It can affect our immune system in a positive way.
• It has been shown to stabilize a person's heart-rate.
• It can calm and soothe a person's mind.
• It allows us to dwell in memories longer.

Bereavement Gifts That Nourish Body and Soul

Grief has many physical affects on the body. Bereaved individuals may have:

• a supressed immune system
• difficultly sleeping
• a lack of appetite
• tension headaches and body aches from stress and sorrow

Many times grieving individuals avoid doing anything to care for themselves. They may even view it as being selfish.

It can be a good thing for a close friend or family member to gently encourage them to get a little pampering. It is likely to make them feel a better, at least for a little while. If you can make one day easier--that's a true gift!

Here are some ideas for bereavement gifts that nourish the body and soul:

• a healthy fruit basket
• assorted tea gift basket
• homemade meals and hot soups
• gift certificates for spa, massage or pedicure
• bath salts
• aromatherapy candles or bath products

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