August 30 is National Grief Awareness Day, a day set aside to recognize something many people carry quietly every day. This tradition was started back in 2014 by Angie Cartwright, a grief advocate who turned her own painful string of losses, including her sister, her husband and her mother, into a passionate cause.
National Grief Awareness Day opens up the public conversation about loss - something that is often very private - and it makes room for grief in all of its different forms. While it is not limited to bereavement, the death of someone we care about can bring especially profound and difficult emotions. Today, we focus on grieving the loss of a loved one and how we can support those who are mourning.
In the days immediately after a death, there may be funerals, flowers, messages, and people checking in. That support can bring comfort. But as the calls become less frequent and life around us appears to return to normal, grief remains. This quieter period can be especially difficult because there is often an unspoken expectation to move on while the pain and confusion are still very real.
Grief is something almost all of us experience, but it can be difficult to talk about. That makes compassion and awareness especially important. When you know someone who is grieving, don't hesitate to reach out. Even a simple message, a thoughtful check-in, or simply being present can offer meaningful comfort and remind them they do not have to carry their grief alone.
There are many ways to show that you care. Some people bring food, others send a heartfelt card, and some choose a thoughtful gift that offers comfort, encouragement, or a meaningful reminder that someone is thinking of them. When giving bereavement gifts feels right, how does one choose something that feels personal and comforting?
At The Bradford Exchange, we believe the most meaningful remembrance gifts are not meant to fix grief or rush it along. They simply offer a thoughtful way to honor the one they've loved and missed, whether through a heartfelt jewelry design worn close, or a keepsake personalized with a name, message or meaningful date as a tribute.
Because there are so many options, we want to help you find the most appropriate and heartfelt gift. Before looking at specific symbols and keepsakes, the guide below will first help make that choice more thoughtful. It is organized by matching each type of remembrance gift to the kind of support it may offer.
How We Are in the Position to Offer Help?
One thing we know is how much meaning people can place in the pieces they choose to remember someone by. For decades, our designers have helped create tributes shaped around love and memory: a pendant to keep close to the heart, a handcrafted figurine for the mantel, a personalized memorial stone-like piece for a garden display. We offer our help through designs so our customers can honor the people who remain part of their lives in ways that are not always easy to explain. And through that, we hope we can lend comfort to the grieving process.
Why a Symbol Can Say More Than Words?
For most people, grief is difficult to put into words. To find a way to express their emotions, people often reach for something tangible: a picture, an object, a small symbol that carries meaning without needing to explain it. It is private, but it is meaningful.
That's likely why there are certain central images around loss. When a cardinal appearing unexpected, it is taken as a visit from the lost loved one. A butterfly is read as a sign that something continues even after a very visible ending. A feather landing on a doorstep or a windshield is interpreted as a guardian angel letting you know they are near and offering protection. A forget-me-not found in the garden emphasizes the meaning found right in its name. As time goes by, they become symbols and signs people actively look for in search of comfort. It's the big reason these symbols are the foundation of our remembrance keepsakes.
Meaningful Remembrance Keepsakes to Comfort Grieving Hearts
A symbol in your mind is one thing. A symbol you can actually hold, wear, or walk past every day is another - and that difference is bigger than it sounds. It is one reason a small object can end up carrying more meaning than its size would suggest.
One of the most touching ways to remember a lost loved one is with memorial jewelry - a beautiful necklace or pendant that keeps a memory of them always close. For example, our Always Pendant Necklace features a sculpted cardinal in an infinity design set with 11 genuine white topaz stones. Another meaningful option is our Wings of Wonder Bracelet that showcases the butterfly imagery of acclaimed artist Lena Liu, along with 10 hand-set crystals for a heavenly touch
Remembrance figurines are designed to grace your home or a personal space, displayed to catch your eye each day and bring you peace and comfort. One of our favorites is the Blake Jensen's Guiding Light and Love Figurine Collection, featuring beautiful angels with his award-winning cardinal artwork on flowing gowns that glow softly from within. These heavenly beings are powerful symbols of hope and healing after loss.
Remembrance sculptures offer another lasting tribute you can see each day. The Love and Remembrance Personalized Garden Stone Collection features sculptural memorials that look like stones, accented with amber-hued low-relief designs and loving words. You can even personalize it with the name of a loved one, giving remembrance a place indoors or outdoors, somewhere beauty can return season after season.
Memorial flowers provide the same meaningful ritual as a living floral tribute, captured in stunning forever arrangements. Our everlasting Always in Bloom® bouquets never wilt or require watering; they serve as a beautiful remembrance of the loved ones we miss. These memorial keepsakes give grief a place to rest, offering a source of comfort today and hope for tomorrow.
Making Space for Remembrance
National Grief Awareness Day gives us permission to acknowledge what is still carried, loved and remembered in our hearts. It is a reminder that loss of all kinds does not always need a grand gesture. Sometimes, what matters most is the simple act of noticing, remembering and making space for a memory that always has a place in everyday life.
However you choose to honor those memories, it is our hope that it brings you peace and comfort, especially when words are often hard to find. If you would like to explore more thoughtful ways to remember someone loved and missed, you can find many remembrance keepsakes and gifts here at The Bradford Exchange. Thanks so much for reading!
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