When a friend or colleague loses someone dear, we strive to make our presence and comfort felt in a number of ways. A popular gesture is to send flowers and/or condolence cards. In some cultures, it’s perfectly okay to send money or food during the funeral service.
More recently, however, sympathy gifts and sympathy gift certificates have grown in popularity and acceptance. But what exactly are sympathy gift certificates? Is it okay to send a gift card instead of an actual gift, a basket of flowers, or other kinds of tokens? When is the best time to send out sympathy gift certificates?
Why Sympathy Gift Certificates Make an Excellent Gift Choice
Sympathy gifts are tokens that you send to someone who has just suffered a loss. Whether it’s the passing away of a family member, the death of a pet, or a miscarriage, these losses are often painful and life-altering. Sympathy gifts aim to express sympathy in thoughtful, creative, and unique ways. Some examples of sympathy tokens are memorial jewelry, angel figurines, garden memorials, memorial trees, and even sympathy cards.
While these gifts are meant to show thought and comfort, picking the right gift for any person can be tough. How do you know if your angel figurine will be appreciated by your office friend? Will you have enough time to learn about their religious preferences first? If you’re picking up some memorial jewelry, which type will be most appropriate? Will your college friend like a tear drop necklace or a simple sympathy keychain?
Thankfully, sympathy gift certificates can help solve that problem. When you give a gift certificate, your grieving friend will be able to pick the item which s/he prefers the most. This way, you end up giving more thought and flexibility to your gift-giving gesture.
The benefits of a sympathy gift certificate are many, and some of them are:
- Long-lasting keepsakes
A gift certificate will allow your friend to take home wonderful keepsakes that they can cherish for years to come.
- Options for personalization
Many sellers of sympathy gifts offer customization services where you can add a personal message or an engraved text on the gift itself.
- The gift of convenience
With an online company, you can pick and send your certificate without leaving your desk. Your friend will also be able to redeem their gift just by going online and accessing the store website.
- Thoughtfulness and flexibility
With a gift certificate, you are definitely showing thoughtfulness. But more than this, you are also giving the receiver some flexibility in choosing an item for themselves. Your gesture ensures that your friend will receive a sympathy gift that they will truly love.
When is the Best Time to Send Sympathy Gift Certificates?
Ideally, you would want the receiver to get hold of the sympathy gift certificate when funeral preparations and other activities have already quieted down. This gives your grieving friend or colleague the time to appreciate the token and to choose their preferred gift without hurry online.
Thoughtful Tokens of Love and Sympathy
Whether you’re sending flowers, sympathy tokens, or sympathy gift certificates, what is most important is the sincerity that accompanies your gesture. It never hurts to include a personal note in each of your gifts to let the receiver know that they are in your thoughts and prayers.
A sympathy gift certificate simply offers a chance for the receiver to choose the gift they want based on their present needs and preferences.
Looking for meaningful sympathy gifts and/or sympathy gift certificates? The Comfort Company brings you a selection of sympathy tokens, from condolence cards to gift certificates. To view more of our offerings, check out our site here.