Gifts Infused With Tenderness Towards Grief – The Laurelbox Story

It was September 2010 as I stood in the middle of our tiny apartment. We hadn’t planned on a baby, but I was holding a positive test. Before breakfast we were twenty-something’s living life in a big city. After breakfast we were planning our new path as parents.

Fast-forward a few weeks. Our 8-week checkup was off. Something wasn’t right with the size. “Go home and come back in two weeks for another ultrasound.” And two weeks later confirmed what we suspected would happen. The baby was gone.

A few more years forward to November 2014. I had seen more of life by then. And I was convinced it’s not all pie in the sky. More friends than I want to admit had miscarried. Others had said goodbye to parents, and siblings, and nephews, and cousins. Earlier that year, my best friend called to tell me her mother had unexpectedly passed away. There were divorces, and unplanned pregnancies, and depression, and losing jobs. I wasn’t angry with God, but I had lived just long enough that I was convinced that life is messy and hard and complicated.

November 2014 is notable mostly because of the life of a baby named Sophia Jane. Sophia’s mom and dad are the type of friends we consider family. They are our people. And their beautiful four-week-old baby had just moved from earth-side to heaven-side and so we stood there at their side. Because…what else can you do in these moments but be there? So we stood there and hugged them, and told them we love them, and talked about Sophia.

Then came along December, but that Christmas I sat conflicted because I was thinking constantly about a friend I love and the baby she loved. And my cousin called. She had this idea. Her friend lost a baby too. As I had just learned in November when you go to send a gift to someone who has experienced searing loss, there aren’t very many good options. There are flowers and fruit baskets. But what if you want to send a gift that is oriented solely and completely at nourishing a hurting heart? A gift so thoughtful and tender that it becomes a breath of life and community as it is opened?

Denise and I decided that day on the phone to take the plunge and create a store called laurelbox. laurelbox gifts reflect our love for Jesus, vintage design, and natural living. Our items are infused with tenderness towards grief. We have a line of commemorative jewelry, items to assist the grieving process, and holistic essential oils and teas for balancing the emotions after a loss. Most items are made by hand here at laurelbox.  Our other products are sourced from small independent artisans who have joined with us to offer exclusive items that speak to a woman’s soul, body, home, and family.

We know that no gift can ever replace the people we have lost, but we hope the prayers we pour over those touched by our company can be felt when you open a laurelbox.

Website: www.laurelbox.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @laurelbox
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/laurelbox