As we had an short length of time preceeding the death, we had some time to think and prepare too. What I found that helped us for the gifts, cards and calls was keeping a roll of tape, a pen and pad of paper on the end table near our door (which, convienently, is also where our answering machine is located). Well wishers names and numbers could be jotted down for return calls later (something you may forget to do in a fog). Tape was good for ripping off return address lables and taping them to inside of sympathy cards we received from my husband’s customers or people he knows from work but does not know their address (in case they sent something else as well). Also along a separate pad of paper, we had taped the florist cards from the flowers and baskets people had sent and kept them all in one location. So when I went to write my thank you notes, I just had to pick up my papers and sit down and had mostly everything in front of me.

Prayers for you and your family,
~The Gratefully Grieving