Wednesday, 30 June 2021
It’s completely normal to be sad when you lose someone that you love. And it’s important to give yourself the time and ways that allow you to grieve.
But think back to the time you spent with your loved ones over the years. Often, your memories involve laughter, fun, and kindness – all are things you can incorporate into memorializing someone after they’re gone.
It’s healthy to focus on ways to feel connected to our loved ones in ways that are meaningful to you.
Instead of focusing on life as it will be without your loved one, try to think of ways to memorialize the deceased that will help maintain their memory in a place of gratitude for their presence in your life, rather than sadness that they’re no longer here in physical form.
1. Visit their final resting place
A visit to the cemetery can happen outside a funeral. It can be nice to create a tradition around visiting your loved one’s final resting place. You can go weekly, monthly, annually to visit the grave of a loved one. You can sit and remember your loved one; you can talk to them. Some people love to bring a floral arrangement or small physical token to lay near the headstone. If your loved one is cremated, perhaps you can make a practice of going to one of their favorite places. Maybe they loved a particular nature trail or café. Having a place, you can associate with your loved one is a great way to memorialize them.
2. Do something they enjoyed, or you did together
Did your loved one enjoy doing something in particular?
Maybe your loved one enjoyed playing football, or perhaps your mum loved baking gingerbread biscuits, and you loved doing these things too!
These experiences don’t have to come to an end just because a person isn’t here in the physical sense. Buy the ingredients to make gingerbread biscuits, look up and go to a local football match. This way of memorializing someone is a unique way to remember the sound of your loved one’s laugh, or the look of their smile while they did something with true joy.
3. Turn their ashes into a cremation diamond or place them into cremation pendant
This presents a unique opportunity to get creative with the design and presentation of a piece of memorial jewellery. You can honor your loved one in a beautiful way with a piece of jewellery that will keep them close to your body and heart whenever the memento is worn.
4. Listen to their favorite songs or watch their favorite movies
Continuing to find entertainment in music, film, or art that your loved one enjoyed is a great way to keep their memory alive. Work with friends and family members to compile photos and the person’s favorite songs to create a slideshow everyone can enjoy together. Maybe you’ll recognize a lyric or a line that makes you consider a different memory of them altogether. Perhaps if they loved to read, grab a novel you know they were fond of and bookmark passages that remind you of them.
Art can act as a time capsule and help you preserve their memory in a wonderful way.
5. Plant a tree, shrub or flowers and visit it
Your loved one may be gone, but what if you could give back to the Earth in their memory? Plant life is a great way to pay tribute to your loved one. You have the option to plant a tree sapling or shrub, a flower bed, or even create an entire community garden with your loved one in mind. Some people place memorial stones around the garden or memorial trees they plant.
6. Create a memorial website or Facebook page
There are far more than a couple of memories to share when it comes to memorializing someone you love. Creating a website, or Facebook page allows loved ones to share stories of the deceased from different parts of their lives in a sort of ongoing live guestbook. Having a specific place online for folks to go when they’re missing a loved one and want to celebrate their memory, is a great way to bring a community of people together to share in the remembrance and life celebration.
7. Donate to their favorite charity
Many of our loved ones were passionate about causes close to their hearts during the time we knew them. After they pass, a unique way to memorialize their memory is to continue giving towards a cause or organization they felt strongly about.
Maybe this means donating the same amount of money each year or asking everyone to give the amount of the age they were when they passed. Many charities and organisations make it easy to set up a recurring donation in someone’s name and memory. You can also choose to give back by donating your time as a volunteer if you can’t make the financial investment towards the cause – it’s just as meaningful!
8. Write them a song, letter, or poem
Humans have been using art as an expressive outlet for thousands of years. Often times at a funeral, a eulogy is given when paying respect to the deceased, but there are ways to use words to honor a loved one beyond the funeral service.
To memorialize a loved one, try writing them a letter. You can store the letter in a journal, put it in a keepsake box, or burn it. If you’d like to put your words in another format, you can try writing a poem inspired by a characteristic of their personality or your favorite memory; if you’re musically inclined, you can turn your thoughts into a song. To create with the memory of your dear one in mind is a true sign of recognition of their meaning to you in your life.
Remembering a loved one doesn’t end at the funeral home or memorial service. There are several ways beyond a funeral service, you can incorporate memorializing a loved one in your daily life in a wonderful way. Whether it’s wearing their memory in a piece of jewellery, singing a few of their favorite songs or recreating their favorite culinary dishes, we hope you find a fun way to pay tribute to the memory of your loved one!