There are many good responses here already and I’m going to add a perspective I don’t see.

As a coworker: don’t do anything. Sometimes work is an opportunity for someone to escape the personal tragedy that has swept through their life. It’s a chance to think about something else for a while, something grounded and neutral. A time to feel normal.

That can be a very helpful support. Reminding them of the personal stuff may ruin that.

I know that you are a nice human and want to be good to them, but sometimes we need to realize that we are just co-workers to someone and not friends and family. Knowing your place can be an incredibly respectful and positive thing to do.

Add this to your other ideas about how to show sympathy. It’s just one angle. I’m not saying this is always right 100% for everyone and bar nothing.

You could ask her about her mother. Talk about fond memories.

Losing your mother is hard. This year it will be 5 years for me.

Letting her talk about her might be a good emotional outlet. It might make her cry more, but that isn’t a bad thing.

It always hurts to talk about. But I do feel better when I can share a bit of her life.

You need to have that kind of friendship where it wouldn’t be strange. If you only nod to each other at the lunch table, then perhaps just leave it.

I heard a great podcast with Frank Ostaseski where he talked about how isolating death is. No one wants to bring up what happened, because it may upset you (spoiler: you are already upset) and you don’t want to burden others by talking about it. This traps you into dealing with it alone. I think the best thing you can do is just be available. Tell them you are genuinely want to listen if they want to talk about it. Perhaps make the offer again in a few weeks when others have moved on. No pressure, just be open to listening. Most of us just want to be heard

Invite her to go do something she likes. Kareoke bar?

People already said what I was going to say, so I’ll add something new.

Set a reminder for Mother’s Day. It will be here in a couple months and she will have to remember the pain a bit. The ‘first blank’ without her Mom will be happening a lot this year. Those are the time to let her know you are available if needed.

A sympathy card would do. You can sign it just yourself or if it’s the type of office community you could pass it around for others to sign. Other than that, just leave it be. Just l a card or a few words of “I’m sorry for your loss” are enough to show that your heart goes out to her and her family.

This is a topic that my union recently addressed, because it turns out that most companies do not have a policy on how to handle sorrow, and this often results in a less than ideal situation for both the employee, employer and coworkers.

Sorrow is comparable to and often leads to stress. Having all the coworkers individually send flowers, showing secondhand sympathy, acting weird about it and themselves having to tell the story over and over does not help on the stress. It might even affect other coworkers too, who might have experienced losses too, triggering their issues over and over again. The result is that the entire work place is in a state of sorrow where they either tip toe around the topic or constantly brings it up. This is very unlikely to be what the person needs. It’s very different what kind of attention each person wants. Some people like to keep working as usual, using the work as a distraction or safe space from the mourning process all together. In a situation like this, it is nice to know that they are needed. Removing their workload could be a bears favour. Nobody wants get told that someone else did your job. It’s basically giving them either an existential threat or a burden of bad consciousness, because then who has to do those tasks and for how long.

All of this shows that even the best intentions can easily lead to more sick days or resignations throughout the entire company if the sorrow of one person is mismanaged. The right way is for the company to have a guideline or politic on who does what. The management must take the dialogue of which tasks can or should be handed over in what time frame, who informs the other employees of the death, the distribution of work, and on behalf of the individual: how they want to be treated on their work place.

Leaving it up to everyone is a recipe for disaster.

In your case, in short: At least make an effort to coordinate any gifts with the rest of your coworkers, so that the person in sorrow does not have to address you all individually and to avoid any other coworkers being left out or creating social groupings etc.

Big lasagna. There will be days she’s too sad to cook. It can be frozen and saved.

'if you need anything, let me know."

Sometimes people just want to be left alone. There’s no solution to grief besides time. You can’t materially improve this position but you can be around if they want to talk or just be around people.

It obviously depends a lot on your relationship with them but what people usually need at times like this is to know you care, that they aren’t alone, and that you are there to help if needed.

It’s also important to give them the option to opt out of anything you offer and allow them space.

Something like ‘I know this must be a really hard time for you, you’ve been in my thoughts. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you out or even just talk’ then leave it at that unless they want to talk or need help. It acknowledges their grief, offers help, but crucially doesn’t make an obligation for them.

I would get her something small. A bag of chocolate truffles, a box of tea, cookies. Especially if you know of something she enjoys. It’s not so important what it is, it’s more about the thought that counts. And then give them your condolences again.

Some people want to talk about their mother. You can ask her something about her mother, and let her talk as much as she wants.

Just tell her that if she’s ever struggling and needs a person to talk to, that she can rely on you.

That demonstrates that you’re a caring person who will be there for her if she needs it.

Unless you know they are religious definitely avoid saying “they are in a better place now”.

Have you considered that you’ve already done all you can do and that you’re borderline making it about you. I’d leave it be.