Tools of Grieving

I stumbled across this guy, and I think his work is really lovely. He makes tools for grieving. Actual objects which the griever can employ to help them get through the physical manifestations of grief. This is what he says about the tear-catcher:

One can record emotional experiences with the ‘single tear catcher’. Tears are stored in the vials, sealed with a cork, attached within the box with a black ribbon and a small scroll with important information is also held above the appropriate vial with a ribbon.

This reminds me a little of the 'worry dolls' I had as a hyper-sensitive child. You whisper a 'worry' to each one before bed and then put them under your pillow, and the subconscious act of giving the worries away is meant to ease anxiety in the worrier. I actually think they did work to an extent, but I find the act of 'storing' and 'recording' one's tearful moments of grief (in so scientific a manner) to be a beautiful project.

This guy (I hate that I don't know his name), has also made 'Husband Stilts' (for wives who lose their husbands and then can't reach things on high shelves), 'Secret Laughter Rings' (for storing the sound/memory of something that made you laugh), and 'Cuticle Protectors' (for nail biters, I assume).

His site is called Grieving Design.

Post Script: I just realised I posted this on Valentines Day. Ha! Tres romantique.