The Comfort Connection

Sympathy Messages That Comfort

2011-02-24T16:45:00.000-08:00

It's so difficult to think of the perfect sympathy messages to convey what you are feeling. You may be afraid that you'll upset someone if you bring up their loss or say their loved ones name. Ironically, this is exactly what those who are grieving need. Recently a customer sent me this sympathy quote that I just love:

"The mention of my mother's name may bring tears to my eyes, but it never fails to bring music to my ears. If you are really my friend, please don't keep me from hearing the beautiful music. It soothe's my broken heart and fills my soul with love."

I think those words ring so true to those who are grieving. I've been told so many times that what they miss most is hearing their loved ones name.

Ghandi Sympathy Quote Windchime

2011-02-16T21:19:00.000-08:00

Sympathy Quotes can be so encouraging during times of loss. We designed this beautiful new Ghandi Sympathy Verse Windchime as a unique way to combine the power of words with the beautiful echos of remembrance.

The lovely sympathy quote by Ghandi is laser engraved on each windchime paddle:

"There are no good-byes for us...Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart"

This hand-tuned chime retails for $59.95.

FREE SHIPPING.

Interview with Pat Klassen of ScrapBooking-Plus-Stories

2010-05-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to be interviewed by Pat Klassen. You can read the interview here.

Pat offers a lovely service which creates one-of-a-kind memorial books. Information can be found here. Each book is a loving legacy which is completely customized for a loved one. These memorial books truly make a lasting give of remembrance.

2009 Holiday Ornament now Available!

2009-11-07T15:46:00.001-08:00

We received our shipment of this years ornament today and I am so excited! The piece is simple and lovely. The verse, "Those we have held in our arms for a little while, we hold in our hearts forever" is surrounded by hearts.

Our 2009 Remembrance ornament if on sale now and ready for immediate shipment!

Recognition for moms in business

2009-01-23T15:56:00.000-08:00

As a mom with four kids, it's sometimes a challenge to run a business as well as raise a family. I am honored to have been nominated for the Leading Moms in Business contest. For those of you who know me and have been customers for the past 6 years, I'd love your support. Please visit this link to see my nomination:

http://www.startupnation.com/leading-moms-2009/contestant/2935/index.php?mode=success

Thanks for trusting me with your special gift needs. As always, warmest regards, Renee

From a father who knows....

2009-01-16T18:03:00.000-08:00

I had the honor of receiving these words from a father who was speaking about losing his son. They are so sweet and ring so true that I wanted to share them with you.....

"Nothing that anyone says or does will remind us of our pain. We live it every day. If we cry when our child's name or death is brought up, you don't create those tears. They're always only a heartbeat away. And, in most cases, those are tears from a grateful heart for remembering us. We appreciate so much that our children are not forgotten because once they die they create no more memories."

Rob Anderson, in loving memory of his son Brendon

Entrepreneur Magazine Features The Comfort Company

2008-09-01T19:45:00.001-07:00

The Comfort Company was featured in the August issue of Entrepreneur Magazine in an article about using a community bank to obtain funding for our new warehouse. Thank you Harris Bank for believing in us! This summer we completed the build out and moved into our new warehouse! We are pleased to be able to house more inventory for faster shipment and delivery of our sympathy gift orders.

The Comfort Company is featured in Good Housekeeping Magazine

2008-08-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

August 2008 was an exciting month for us as The Comfort Company was featured in Good Housekeeping Magazine. What a great honor to be included in the pages of a magazine that has been a staple in our home for generations. My grandmother used to give a subscription of the magazine to my mom, and I have been a subscriber for years.

A new angel remembrance....

2008-06-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

We just received a shipment of a sweet new gift angel that I wanted to share with you. The angel arrives in a gift box and is inscribed with my favorite sympathy saying, "I thank my God everytime I remember you."

I have been so amazed at the thoughtfulness of those who are ordering gifts to arrive in time for Father's Day. I know how much these gifts will be treasured FOREVER. It's the small gestures that mean so much. And I've just been warmed inside by those of you who thought to reach out to others on this traditionally happy holiday. You will be touching and healing hearts with your sweet gifts and words of remembrance.

Mompreneurs in Chicago

2008-05-06T17:25:00.001-07:00

I met this weekend with a group of mom business owners affectionately and officially known as the "Mompreneurs". We are women who are passionate about our businesses but dedicated to being moms. Our businesses are as diverse as our families, but for one weekend, we were uniquely alike. We took some time to gather together, share resources, concerns and insights into the challenges and blessings of being mom entrepreneurs. Stop by for a visit. We are communicating daily at: Mompreneursonline.

Things are coming along....

2008-04-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Things are progressing along with the building and we are hoping to move the beginning of May. This is the UPS holding area where all orders will be held for pickup. (That's my third daughter, Olivia, who is peaking out.)

I have been going over some old notes and I found a beautiful quote that I wanted to pass along:

"Sorrow shared is sorrow halved."

Think about how greatly you are touching the life of someone you care about when you send a sympathy gift. Your thoughtfulness makes a difference. The smallest initiative...a phone message...a simple note.....a hug....can help lift the burden of grief. Take a moment today to let someone know you care. Take a moment to share their sorrow.

Getting Ready for a Move!

2008-04-13T14:16:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share some pictures of the future home of The Comfort Company. We are very excited to be moving our operations to a larger facility, thus giving us the ability to serve our customers faster and carry a larger variety of products.

We signed a contract this week on warehouse space and they have begun the buildout. Our hope is that this investment will allow us to provide a larger selection of sympathy gifts and provide speedier service.

WGN News Interview: Speaking out on the importance of expressing sympathy....

2008-03-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

In light of the tragedy at NIU, I was asked by WGN news to speak on the topic of "Coping with a tragedy" . I live 30 miles away from Northern and it is the University that my daughter has plans to attend, so this recent school shooting was all too close to me. I was grateful to WGN for asking me to speak on the topic of expressing sympathy. It's such a difficult, yet necessary, conversation. People often feel unprepared to deal with another's grief and for good reason. While we are taught to "never talk to strangers" and to "buckle up for safety" and to "just say no"....we are never taught how to comfort someone who is dealing with a loss. And grief, either our own or someone else's is the one experience we are all going to have at one time or another.
(VIEW VIDEO CLIP)

Washington Visit Was Fantastic....

2007-09-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

On September 16-20, I had the distinct honor of being invited to Washington to attend a Congressional Luncheon on Healthcare Reform, particularly as it relates to women-owned small businesses. Senator Hilary Clinton was the keynote speaker.

The trip was underwritten by sponsors American Express, JetBlue and Marriott.

I am grateful to the staff of Count-Me-In as well as the Make Mine a Million $ Business for making this event possible.

D. Morgan Holiday Remembrance Ornament Prototype...

2007-09-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

We just received our sample of the new D. Morgan ornament that is new for 2007. I think it turned out just lovely. The design is simple and the words are powerful. I think it will touch so many hearts this holiday season. We are in production of this memorial ornament and should have product in hand at the end of October. We are pre-selling these pieces and will be shipping all orders promptly upon delivery of our inventory.

Be the first to receive this touching gift of remembrance.

The Comfort Company interviewed for Entrepreneur.com

2007-08-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

We are delighted and grateful to Entrepreneur.com, particularly Michelle Anton for the wonderful interview opportunity. The Comfort Company, Inc. interview can be found here: Weekend Entrepreneur.

The Comfort Company Invited to Capitol Hill

2007-08-17T22:15:00.000-07:00

This September, I am honored to have been invited to convene in Washington, D.C. with the national organization WIPP (Women Impacting Public Policy) where I will be speaking directly to elected officials about the integral role of women entrepreneurs in the national economy.

On September 19, I will be attending a Congressional Luncheon focusing on women’s health and the healthcare crisis as well as a discussion on healthcare reform and its impact on small business.

I'm looking forward to this jouney and hope I'll be able to have a positive impact on future of healthcare, particularly for women and small businesses.

Expressing sympathy takes on a new light....

2007-08-10T17:25:00.001-07:00

We're really excited to offer another meaningful, non-traditional sympathy gift. Our line of tiffany-style lamps are now in stock and ready for immediate shipment. The lamps are emerging as a new trend in expressing sympathy.

In recent years, more people have begun creating a special place in their homes to preserve the memory of their loved ones.

A small accent table holding framed photos, special tokens and candles can be beautifully lit by one of our condolence lamp gifts. The lamp gives a comforting glow, warming any room with a gentle reminder that our loved ones' "light will always shine".

If you are looking for a truly special gift that will offer a lifetime of remembrance, consider sending one of our specialty condolence lamps.

New D. Morgan ornament design coming along very well...

2007-07-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

Plans are coming along well for another ornament that we will be offering this year. We have the preliminary artwork for an ornament design that we are going to license from D. Morgan. The verse on the ornament will read, "There are special people in our lives who never leave us...even after they are gone." I just love this verse and it rings so very true.

Also in the works is a veteran memorial ornament. I hope that this design will be available for 2007, but we'll have to see. The concept is in place, but the artwork will have to be completed.

We are going to increase our condolence lamp selection as we have had positive feedback on this non-traditional sympathy gift. By the end of August, we should have about 8 new designs to order. They really are a nice gift to give if you want something that will last forever.

Femail Creations catalog has decided to include our Helen Keller ornament into their catalog this fall, so we are very excited about that news.

I am always open to any suggestions for ornaments, so please feel free to post any quote, saying or phrase that you feel might be a nice one to create an ornament around.

I'll keep you posted on when the new 2007 ornaments are available.

2007-05-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

Our preliminary artwork for our new Loss of a Pet ornament is here and I wanted to share it with you. We know how much family pets can mean to people and we felt it was important to add an ornament that would be a comforting gift to give to someone who has lost a pet, whether it is a dog, cat, bird, hamster, etc. We are not sure of the wording at this point. (And we are open to suggestions!) We want to use something like:

"There is a special place in my heart where your spirit will live forever."

Feel free to post any input. We will probably be going into the mold phase of the ornament production in the next few weeks. We are also going to be licensing artwork from D. Morgan to develop an ornament into. Stay tuned....

The pendant where it all began....

2007-05-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are not familiar with my story, I began The Comfort Company out of my frustration at not being able to find just the right gift for a family member who had lost her dad. I went through the traditional options....a sympathy flower arrangement, a sympathy gift basket, you know, the typical ideas that normally come to mind.

But this was such a devastating loss and nothing that I could come up with seemed to be able to speak to her great loss. Ultimately I ended up sketching a pendant for her. I sculpted the sketch using a piece of green play-doh and took it to my local jewelers who had it cast into silver. I wrote a poem about how one day she would "treasure her tears of remembering".

During the development of the pendant, I would share my story and all along the way people began to say, "I need one of those for my grandma.....I need one of those to give to my neighbor...." etc. I decided to have some extras made and, well, here is where I ended up.

Unfortunately I ran into problems with the manufacturing and quality suffered. I tried three different manufacturers, but could not get the quality piece that I wanted. Ultimately I had to cease production and the pendant has been unavailable for 3 years.

But now it's back and lovelier than ever before! I am just so excited to have this original design back. The quality is superb and I'm proud to have this unique sympathy gift available to you all. I know that if you choose to buy one for yourself or share one with someone you care about, you will be very pleased with the comfort that this Forget-Me-Not pendant will provide.

Helping Moms Cope When Mother's Day Hurts

2007-05-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

What Grieving Moms Want for Mother’s Day:

TheComfortCompany.net Offers 10 Simple Ways to help Moms Cope When Mother’s Day Hurts

Acknowledgement is what grieving mother’s want most for Mother’s Day, suggests a survey by www.thecomfortcompany.net, a website that specializes in meaningful sympathy gifts. The online survey asked “What can others do to ease your pain on Mother’s Day”. Over 80 percent of the 200 respondents answered, "Recognize that I am a mother".

“While Mother’s Day is generally considered to be a day of celebration, for many women it is a day of pain and loss” says Renee Wood, former social worker and founder of The Comfort Company. "It's important to remember those moms who have had a failed pregnancy or who have lost a child at any age."

In response to the survey results, thecomfortcompany.net has issued a list of ten simple ways to reach out to a grieving mother on this difficult holiday.

1. Recognize that they are a mother: Offer a hug and a "Happy Mother’s Day". Send a card to let them know you remember they are a mother even though their child is not with them physically.

2. Acknowledge they have had a loss: Express the message, "I know this might be a difficult day for you. I want you to know that I am thinking about you.”

3. Use their child’s name in conversation: One mother responded, "People rarely speak his name anymore, but when they do it’s like music to my ears".

4. Plant a living memorial: A tree or rose bush, like memories, will grow in beauty as the years pass.

5. Visit the grave site: Many mothers felt that it was "extremely thoughtful" when others visited their child’s grave site and left flowers or a small pebble near the headstone.

6. Light a candle: Let the mother know you will light a candle in memory of their child on Mother’s Day.

7. Share a memory or pictures of the child: Give the gift of a memory. One mother wrote that the "greatest gift you can give is a heart felt letter about my child and a favorite memory with them".

8. Send a gift of remembrance: Many mothers felt a small gift would be comforting. Suggestions included: an angel statue, jewelry, a picture frame, a library book or toy donation in the child’s name or anything personalized.

9. Don’t try to minimize the loss: Avoid using any clichés that attempt to explain the death of a child. ("God needed another angel.") Secondly, don’t try to find anything positive about the loss ("You still have two healthy children").

10. Encourage Self-Care: Self-care is an important aspect of the "healing the mind and spirit effort" according to several mothers. Encourage a grieving mother to take care of herself. Give her a gift certificate to a day spa or any place where she can be pampered.

Our 2007 ornament design is here!

2007-04-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to send in a post to let everyone preview the 2007 ornament. I absolutely love it! There are a couple of very special details about this piece. The steeple in the artwork is my own church's steeple. I just love our steeple and thought it would be so neat to somehow incorporate it into an ornament design, so we did that this year. Take a look!

This is the rough draft. We'll be receiving our final revision soon and this will go to the caster around May 2007 with a delivery time in June or so.

Our memorial ornaments have just been the most wonderful aspect of the business. I'm excited to be spending more and more time doing fund-raising with hospices around the country. Thanks for stopping by to take a look.

Ways to Express Sympathy Grow Beyond Flowers

2007-02-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

Geneva, IL (PRWeb) February 23, 2007 -- Sympathy gifts are never easy to buy, but the Comfort Company has taken the pain out of the process and made it, not only simple, but creatively unique.

"People are looking for a special way to express their sympathy," says Renee Wood, founder of the Comfort Company (http://www.thecomfortcompany.net/), "and the more we learn about grief, the more we understand how important it is to send a gift that will provide comfort and support in the weeks and months following a loss."

That is why more and more people are turning to tangible and everlasting gifts such as those provided by the Comfort Company. People are learning to express their sorrow in different ways and are changing their focus of sympathy gift giving by acknowledging the loss of a loved one, rather than minimizing it.

Tear bottles are one such example of an alternative to a traditional sympathy gift; they offer comfort and remembrance to the grieving. The tear bottle dates back to the days of ancient Rome and Egypt where mourners would collect tears and bury them with loved ones to show honor and devotion. They made a comeback during the Victorian era, but tradition had changed: tears were collected in bottles with special stoppers and once the tears evaporated, the mourning period ended, but the bottle remained a token of eternal devotion. Today, they are given to express sympathy.

"Giving a gift that focuses on the living, while remembering the one who has passed away, is our main goal," Wood said. "Gifts such as memorial benches, garden stones, cremation jewelry, gift trees, customized inscription frames and journals all serve to celebrate life, while treasuring the past."

The Comfort Company was born out of necessity. Wood was not able to find an appropriate gift for a family member who had recently experienced the loss of her father. Wood came up with an idea to design a piece of jewelry and sketched a teardrop-shaped pendant with a forget-me-not flower embedded in the design; she accompanied it with a personalized verse.

Wood soon began to believe that there must be others who felt the same way and would appreciate such a personal keepsake. After many hours of interviewing people about the grief process and trying to discover what people need and want, she learned that people want and need to grieve. They do not desire to have their pain taken away, but want it acknowledged, so they can begin to heal.

Two years ago, Wood appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show and was acknowledged for starting her own business after advice she received from an article in "O" magazine; she founded the company in 2000. She has a master's degree in social work and lives with her husband and four daughters in Geneva, Illinois.

We are working on our 2007 ornament designs...

2007-02-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

This year we will be working on three new holiday ornament designs. The verses we are using are:

"There are no good-byes for us....Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart."
"I thank my God everytime I remember you."
"May the love of your angel softly enfold you, gently uplift you, comfort and hold you."

I'd love to work on the verses that you all feel are most appropriate or comforting in loss. Please feel free to submit any wording, design, etc. that you feel would be a meaningful ornament to hang on your tree or in your home year-round. Of all the gifts we carry, I feel the remembrance ornaments may be the most important. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

How come we don't have a phone number?

2007-01-29T18:59:00.000-08:00

I felt that I needed to address a topic that comes up from time to time and that is...."How come you don't have a phone number on your website?"

The answer is simple. I don't hold regular office hours. Between juggling four young kids, a business and a busy household, I am not able to offer my customers 9-5 customer service. I normally work about 10 hours a day, but my hours vary. What I do offer, I believe, is in many ways better.

I am normally always checking my email....from the office, from home, from the road, etc. I make it a point to know what is going on with your orders. I want to be able to respond quickly when someone makes an error on their order or needs an answer to a question about a product. It is not unusual for me to answer your emails on the weekends, evenings or in the wee hours of the morning.

Also, one of the main reasons that I began my own business is because I wanted to be able to be the one to care for my children. Therefore, my four-year-old daughter comes to work with me everyday. While I am filling orders, she is right beside me....coloring...singing...or doing something else amazing that I wouldn't want to miss by dropping her off at a sitter on my way to the office.

I understand that this can be frustrating to many customers, but these days it isn't unusual for a website to offer email-only support (Think Amazon and E-bay).

My heart is with each and every order. If you have a problem, I really want to know about it so that I can do everything possible to get the situation corrected. As much as we strive for 100% accuracy and safe and timely deliveries, things still happen. (Not often, thank goodness.)

What I would like for you to know is that with or without a phone number.....YOU WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF!

Very Warmly ~ Renee

The ornaments have arrived...

2006-07-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

After the long process of hiring an artist, creating the artwork, molds, etc. the new 2006 ornaments have arrived. They are stunning. I love the designs and I hope that they will be treasured keepsakes by those who receive them.

The first design is an oval shape with the wording, "If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again." The second is a Helen Keller quote, "What we have once enjoyed we can never lose...All that we love deeply becomes a part of us."

I used a new company to manufacture this years pieces. It's very, very important to me to keep all of my manufacturing in the United States. I believe in the American Dream and maybe my small job won't matter to the entire country, but it matters to the man or woman who is employed by the manufacturing plant I chose.

My goal was to keep the prices down this year so that the ornaments were affordable by anyone who might be comforted by one. I hope that they are well received!