Losing a loved one is far from easy. Whether or not you were able to say goodbye, death leaves a void within. Grief sets in and renders you powerless, especially when you feel like you have forever lost something you cherish.
The death of your loved ones does not mean that they are entirely gone. You can undertake things to keep their memory alive, not only for you but also for others. Paying tribute and memorializing someone you cared for also shows how much they meant to you.
Here are nine ways to honor them:
Keep something they owned with you.
Keeping something with sentimental value is an infinite way to remember someone. Perhaps it is a piece of clothing or jewelry. It can be a meaningful tribute to wear something that belonged to your loved one who has passed.
You can also frame something they’ve written, like a letter, a poem, or a recipe they have given you. Hang it at home to make you smile and remember the memories whenever you see it.
Another idea is to create or have somebody sew together a quilt or stuffed animal from their clothes. It can be a scarf or just an old t-shirt they loved to wear.
Making a scrapbook of your moments together can also help you in your mourning. Find a leather-bound or custom scrapbook to make it extra special. Gather photos, stories, and other adventures you shared. The finished product will give you a creative collection to reminisce about in the future.
Do something they love doing.
Reminisce the life you shared by experiencing their favorite things. You can watch their favorite TV shows and movies, read their much-loved books or listen to their beloved tunes and music. Doing these simple activities can give you a profound sense of the life they lived well.
Are you aware that your sense of smell is narrowly tied to your memories? Cooking their favorite dish or meal can help you remember that person and the good times you had together. Just smelling the aroma of the meal brings you right back beside them.
Start a new tradition.
Creating a new tradition that involves this person’s memories is a fun way to remember. It can be spending a day in their favorite restaurant, watching their favorite movie on their birthday, or laying flowers on their grave.
Sometimes, death in a circle makes relationships better. When you gather with family and other close friends of your loved ones, you relate well with their grief, and your connection is more substantial. You may have lost someone, but you gain new people in your life. They can be part of the unique traditions you are trying to establish.
Create something in their honor.
Whether you are handy, taking on a project for your departed is a great way to honor them. Choose something you can handle, like a birdhouse or a simple rock garden.
For more creative individuals, it can be a piece of jewelry, a basket, or any décor. You can keep these or give them away. The process of making them will be therapeutic as you grieve for the death of this particular person.
If the cemetery permits the addition of a bench near your loved one’s grave, build one or have someone make it. Benches can easily be customized. You can have a special message engraved and provide a serene place to rest when you visit your loved one’s tomb.
Get a permanent mark to remember them by.
Tattoos are not for everyone. Many people get one as a special gesture to remember someone. If you are one of these people, consider getting a tattoo designed with their name, date of birth or death, or anything that reminds you of them. Some include an image of angel wings, believing that their beloved will be watching over them from the other side.
A short quote in their handwriting is another excellent idea. Getting permanently inked is a commitment that their memory will never fade.
Make a living reminder.
Planting a tree, flowers, or an entire garden as a memorial to someone they miss has long been practiced by many people. It is a lovely, fragrant, and productive reminder of your loved one. Appreciating the life embodied in nature can also provide solace in the life you shared with them.
Some get or adopt a pet in honor of their beloved. It would seem like they are paying it forward by taking care of another life after losing that of someone they love and miss.
Support a cause close to their heart.
Recall the values they lived by. Pursuing these after they have passed keeps their legacy alive. It can be making a donation, volunteering, or creating scholarships. If your loved one died of a terminal disease, you could help raise funds for finding a cure. All these are potent means to carry on their memory.
If you cannot fund it yourself, establishing a fundraiser is excellent to honor someone you miss. It also generates an impact by involving the community.
Arrange for an event to celebrate a life well-lived.
Please give them a special tribute and bring your community to get together. Gather all their friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors to dedicate an event to honor them. Pick an activity that they loved, or you can incorporate a fundraiser for their cause.
Choose something that they loved to do and make it happen every year. An annual or one-time event in their honor may be a fantastic way to pay tribute to their life and inspire others to remember them.
Should you wish, you can organize a memorial service to commemorate them after their passing or on their death anniversary. During the event, share their stories and photos. Display these to keep their memories alive. You may also use an online memorial site to create a multimedia tribute in their honor.
Giving them a tribute doesn’t have to be an elaborate occasion. It’s an opportunity for you and your shared group to remember and celebrate the life you shared and the love you will always cherish for them.
Have their memorial program especially designed and printed.
Memorials Programs are unique. They can take many forms and shapes. It’s not just a piece of paper that holds information about them. This funeral pamphlet can be a memento that many will save as a keepsake to remember your beloved for years to come.
Grief takes time. While going through this process, know that your loved one wishes for you to live your life happy again. They would not want you to linger in the hole they have left behind. Instead, celebrate how they have enriched your life with theirs.
Doing these ways can help in easing the sadness of their death. Focus on the happy times. It can be a cathartic step in the mourning process. Look forward to the acceptance that their life is well-lived and rightfully celebrated.
Personal Touch Printing specializes in creating Memorial Programs. Call us at 661-809-4807 (available for 24 hours) or 661-835-1549 (available after 4 pm). You can also reach us via email at personaltp.williams@gmail.com. Please drop by our office at 4108 Cyclone Dr., Bakersfield, CA. We are here for you in your most trying time.
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