'Tis the season of gift giving!
But what if your recipient recently navigated the death of a loved one? Or another type of death — of a relationship, job, or dream? Maybe you're looking for something extra special, extra loving, extra compassionate for these tender hearts.
Or perhaps your recipient is spiritual… They talk in terms of energy and angels, love to explore life's mysteries, and are into topics like mediumship and spirit communication.
I am often asked for gift ideas for precisely these people. (Makes total sense... these ARE my people!) So here's a handful to get you started.
But first... I would be failing at my job if I didn't tell you this:
ABOVE ALL ELSE,
YOUR PRESENCE IS THE BEST PRESENT.
YOUR COMPASSION IS THE GREATEST GIFT.
YOUR LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS.
These are just The Truth. Frankly, this is a blog topic in and of itself: You are enough, your prayers are enough, your intentions are enough, your love is enough. Period.
But if you want to get busy shopping, by all means, let's go for it!
Here are some of my favorite gifts that help celebrate the life of a passed loved one, lift up those who are navigating illness and disease, appeal to the spiritually connected among us, and in general inspire and illuminate our lives. Really, they’re perfect for anyone at any time, as far as I’m concerned.
By the way, I am not in any way affiliated with or receiving benefits from the retailers mentioned here. This is just me sharing a few of my favorite things — no strings attached!
Signs, signs, everywhere signs
“Is the hummingbird that keeps landing on my window my mom?” YES.
“Why does my bedside lamp blink when I think of my passed husband? Is that him?” YES.
“I want to believe that the rainbows I see are my parents. They are always perfectly timed — I see them every time I need my mom and dad the most.” BELIEVE!
This is THE book for exploring signs from the spirit world. I could hand this out like candy!
And don’t forget that the signs themselves can inspire all sorts of deeply meaningful and greatly appreciated gifts. For instance, my favorite neighbor knows that cardinals represent her beloved cousin. So for her birthday, I gave her a bird feeder and a sack of bird seed mixed specifically for cardinals. For my dear friend whose passed mother’s sign is hummingbirds, I gifted her a necklace with a hummingbird charm.
For my college bestie who is comforted by rainbows, which represent her parents, I gave her a rainbow door mat for her front door so that every time she leaves and enters her house she is reminded that they are with her.
Infinite ideas here… You get the point! Work with signs to come up with the perfect present.
Angels are real.
Within hours of my grandmother passing, I had to go to work. (I had been with her almost 24-7 during her final days, hours, and moments.) I was miserable. My body felt like lead, and all I wanted to do was cry. And sleep.
But within minutes of arriving at my desk, I received a flower delivery from my husband and sons — and with it came a ceramic angel figurine. I cried happy tears. Not only was it such a sweet gesture from my family, but the gift was so HER. The figurine looked like something she would have collected and displayed in her home. I love it, and it’s been on my home altar ever since.
The angel figurine pictured above is different than the one I received but terrific in its own right. It’s selenite and from Prospectors, one of my two favorite rock shops in St. Louis (the other being STL Rocks). In addition to being pretty, selenite works to clear energy (and who couldn’t use a little extra help with that these days!?) and connect with higher realms.
Find a local artist who creates angel art. Here in St. Louis, we have the amazing Carolyn Lewis. She creates these gorgeous multimedia guardian angels in different sizes. (How cute is the tiny one above, perched on its own easel?)
“Each Angel in this collection was created using tablecloths belonging to my grandparents, delicate hand crocheted lace, vintage doilies from my great aunt, sheet music, bits of love letters of a St. Louis couple from the 1930’s, and even hand-written school pages from my childhood. These stories are being retold through the angels. May your Guardian Angel be with you always.” — Carolyn Lewis
Meaningful memorial DIY projects
This spring, one of my husband’s closest friends from college passed. Michael. I blogged and shared videos about him at the time. He was an exceptionally wise and loving human who touched my heart profoundly.
Weeks before Michael passed, he had a near death experience. He returned from it to write one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. He posted this piece to social media and asked that it be read, taken to heart, and shared. Both my husband and I were touched by his words, so I thought to hang them in our home as a constant reminder of his goodness.
This wasn’t hard to make: I copied and pasted his words into Canva then toyed with fonts; added an image of a painting he shared with us when we last visited him; printed it on cardstock at my local FedEx, inserted it in a frame from Target, and hung it in the most of trafficked part of our home. I look at it every day and love it. We brought additional copies of the piece to his funeral Mass and shared them with his family; they loved them, too.
Think of what words, phrases, images, or other items most inspire, comfort, or bring joy to your recipient’s heart. Put them under glass and present them as a gift. This is such a personal, powerful gesture — try it!
After my dad passed, my husband and kids presented me with the most hilarious framed photo of him that we hung in our rec room. I’m not going to share it here as it’s a tad inappropriate, but trust me when I tell you that it makes me laugh out loud every time I pass it.
These I can share… Tiny pics of my dad that bring me joy. That’s him in Japan, standing in front of the Great Buddha of Kamakura while on leave from the DMZ during his Army days. The other pic is from our wedding reception. I love these little images because I can easily move them around the house on a whim and tuck them where I need them the most at any given time.
We all share so much online these days… Can you find a photo from your recipient’s social media accounts that means a ton to them? Right click to download or just take a screen shot. Or perhaps you have access to family albums full of treasured images. Print your saved file or make a copy of it at an easy-to-access place like Walgreens and then swing by a Michael’s or Home Goods to find the perfect frame.
Living things are a blessing.
When my dad passed years ago now, one of my dearest friends (now my next-door neighbor — so fun!) gave me this house plant. I love tending to it and watching it thrive. It reminds me not of death but of LIFE. If you have a plant-loving friend or one who loves nurturing life, plants are always a good idea. Bonus: They serve us so well by purifying the air and energizing our space! We are so blessed by houseplants!
There are many cool spots around STL (Plathaven Farms in Olivette, Frisella Nursery in Definance, and Rolling Ridge Nursery in Webster Groves are my favs) where you can purchase houseplants, cool pots, and other beautiful related accessories.
Perhaps a houseplant just isn't quite "enough" for you. What about a tree? You must check out Treebute, owned and operated by my colleague and dear friend Elizabeth Schenk and her husband. You can purchase or crowd-fund a stunning tree that Treebute will lovingly plant for you at a location of your choosing — a living, breathing, tangible reminder of memories, joy, lessons, and love shared.
Oracle cards: Easy + fun tools for connection
Card decks are an easy, fun, and inspiring way to get us out of our monkey minds and connect with the greater wisdom that serves us at all times. My favorites are by Rebecca Campbell, especially Healing Waters and the Rose Oracle. For my birthday this year, a dear friend gave me the Only Love deck by local St. Louis artist Joan Marie; it’s delightful! Gift a deck of oracle cards, then send the recipient to me for a Spiritual Guidance session to learn how to use them. (See below for more info!) With just a little bit of instruction and guidance, oracle cards can be a powerful yet easy tool for helping us communicate with our passed loved ones. I use them often, including during mediumship sessions, with remarkable results.
This Nature Meditations card deck (I purchase mine from REI but they are widely available online) is less oracle, more inspiration — perfect to give your outdoorsy friend or present as a host/hostess gift.
Gift certificates are always a good idea.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention gifting a session with me! Please send your loved ones my way. I will take the best care of them, I promise.
My mediumship readings serve to connect us with the unseen, which can be intensely healing for those in grief. My spiritual guidance sessions are perfect for your more curious friends who want to explore spiritual topics, connect with support, and learn new rituals and practices, just to name a few possibilities. (e.g., I can teach you how to use those super-cool oracle cards when we meet!) And my death doula services can support anyone at any stage of living but are especially useful if a loved one is in the end stages of life and they and/or their loved ones crave additional support and guidance.
You can purchase credit in $50 or $100 increments, or you can purchase gift certificates for session amounts. Here is a direct link to purchase gift certificates for sessions with me. Please email me if you have any questions or need assistance. I'm happy to make you custom gift certificates, too, like the one pictured above.
Remember, YOU are the gift. YOU are the love. Period.
But wrapping up something intentional and heartfelt sure feels good, too, doesn't it?
Much love,
Amy