Things happen. They just do. It’s a reality of life that weighs heavily on the vast majority of humanity. People lose loved ones, jobs, and favorite pets. They go through breakups and breakdowns and suffer from illnesses.

Major life events can be really difficult to navigate, and it’s hard to know exactly what to do as a loved one on the outside to make things better. This list offers a handful of gift ideas that can bring small comfort to those going through a rough time.

A Home-Cooked Meal

One of the kindest, most thoughtful gifts you can give someone having a hard time is a home-cooked meal. It meets the needs of people on so many levels. You’re nourishing someone who may not be able to engage in self care, and you may be feeding their kids as well.

You’re also evoking nostalgia and dopamine in the form of a comfort food that brings back good memories. Plus, you’re saving them time and money they may not have right now. The best thing about a home cooked meal is that it can be as deep and complex or as simple and easy as you need it to be.

You could spend hours making a lasagna, or you could pop a pot roast in the oven and call it a day. Either way, you get the warm, rich, nutrient-dense satisfaction to deliver to your loved one. And if you truly don’t have the time, or you live far away, you can always order a home-cooked meal as part of a sympathy care package to be delivered.

A Care Package

Speaking of care packages, putting together a box or basket of items to cheer up your friend or family member can bring numerous smiles to their face. Your basket could be filled with treats, like snacks and candy, magazines and puzzles, if they’re down with a cold or injury. Or, you could add blankets, bath bombs, candles, and fuzzy slippers if they’re going through a bad breakup.

You might also include pictures of a lost loved one or pet as a tender nod to their heartbreak. The key with a care package is to make the items specific to both the person and the moment.

You can even talk to the person in advance to see where their head is during this hard time, what their preferences are, and what they need. If you work in an office, you might want to start a fund and gather either money or items from all of your coworkers. Then, you can send the basket from the whole team. Make sure to include a personal note from everyone involved to send extra love.

Flowers

Flowers can have therapeutic opportunities for care and reflection for those grieving. If your loved one is going through a breakup, a job loss, or even just feeling sad, flowers bring big, bold, bright life into the gloomiest rooms or hardest times. You can choose anything from carnations to roses, and they’re sure to bring sunshine into your loved one’s life.

You can take this gift one step further, too. Don’t just send flowers. Send a potted plant that is hardy enough to withstand a bit of neglect. Snake plants, ivy, and pothos plants can go weeks and even months with no water or care and continue to thrive.

And if your friend or family member loves to garden, you can even bring starts or seeds to plant together. This gives you a chance to be present and get your loved one outside into fresh air to brighten their mood.

A Plate of Cookies

It’s simple. It’s easy. And it’s a crowd pleaser. If you love to bake or you have a favorite bakery, box up a dozen cookies and deliver them to your loved one for a quick hit of sugar and dopamine. Chocolate chip is a classic, but you can also go for sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, or even oatmeal raisin.

Make sure you double-check with your friend or family member, so you can bring their favorite over. And if you’re still not sure, just send a variety pack. This is another gift you can take a step further to add a level of love and care. Instead of bringing cookies over, consider bringing over the ingredients to bake together.

Time spent together is priceless, and baking is a wonderful way to distract your loved one from their dark and gloomy feelings. It also warms up the house and sends waves of delicious smells throughout. Once you’ve pulled the last batch out of the oven, pull up a good movie, hide under the covers, and eat straight from the baking sheet. It’s a small comfort that can offer big healing.

Time

Gardening, baking, cooking, and many other pastimes are examples of time spent together. Time is perhaps the greatest gift you can give someone, especially when they’re feeling down. Of course, you want to make sure they’re in a place to receive visitors and not desperately needing to be alone. But once you know it’s safe to show up and hold space, do it, and do it often.

Being present, listening, or just sitting with your friend or family member can remind them that they’re not in this, whatever “this” is, alone. Like with any other gift, you want to make this time specific to the needs of your person. Maybe you take them out for coffee and chat.

Perhaps you can plan a hike or even just a walk around the block. Or you might book a retreat at a spa to get them out of the house and away from their troubles for a couple of days. The goal is to give your friend or family the thing they really need, more than anything else, and that’s your support, whatever that looks like for the two of you.

In the end, there are many small comforts you can offer to your loved one that will bring a moment, or many moments of healing. Whether it’s comfort food or treats or a basket full of self-care items, just remember to put thought, care, and a sweet note into the mix. And if you have time to give, this is the best option.

It can come in the form of baking or gardening, or even just sitting silently in a movie theater together. However you decide to show up for your person, they’ll likely be happy just to remember you care.