If you have lost someone near and dear to you, then it’s only natural that you might be thinking more about their legacy and what kind of lasting impact they might have on the world. Some people are content to mourn and then keep the memory of a loved one in their mind, but if you want to go a step further and make sure that their memory lasts in this world longer, whether you specifically link it to your relationship with them or to some wider memorial in the world, here are a few ways that you can do it.
Creating a place for them
There are all kinds of small memorials that you can add to your home to serve as a reminder of the life that your loved one lived and to give them a place of respect and honor where you live. One example of such a memorial is that of the shadow box. Shadow boxes can be used as frames for photos, for one, but they are deep enough that many people also choose to fill them with trinkets that might have had some meaning. This can be jewelry, ticket stubs, small photos, art that is dedicated to them, and otherwise. You can create a small vignette in memory of the person you love.
Create in their name
Inspiration can come from all walks of life and even people who might not normally consider themselves to be overly creative can find that they want to make some sort of dedication to the person that they love. This can be a piece of art, a collage, a poem, or even a short piece of writing that helps you express how you feel about your loved one. Creating in dedication to the person that you have lost can be one of the most sincere ways to honor their memory and to show just how deeply they have affected your life. You can then keep some copy of what you have created in the home to go back to when you want to feel close to them.
Frame something they have created
As well as taking the time to create some form of art to dedicate to your loved one, you can also give a little extra love and attention to something that they have created, as well. If your loved one was a creative type who may have written poems or short stories in the past, or may have drawn, painted, or written music, then you can take a page of what they have created, frame it, and make sure that it has a treasured place on the wall. It doesn’t necessarily have to be artistic to earn a place on your wall, either. You can, if you would like, just as easily put up something like a recipe or a letter to you.
Keep them with you
There are also, of course, physical ways of making sure that you keep the memories of a loved one with you. You can create a very real reminder of them, what they meant to you, and the lessons you have learned from them in the form of memorial jewelry, as an example. Fingerprint jewelry can take an aspect of their being that was unique to them and make sure that you’re able to wear it and carry it with you always. As such, you always have a dedication to them that you can wear to show your respect and fondness for them and to look at every time you feel like you are missing them or wish they were with you.
Carry something of theirs
You don’t necessarily need to create something brand new to serve as a fitting memorial or tribute to your loved one, either. You can just as easily find an item that might have belonged to them to serve the same purpose. It doesn’t have to be a particularly valuable or meaningful item, of course, so long as it has some sentimental value to you. There are some services that allow you to turn their belongings into something new that you can more easily take with you into the future, such as turning an old t-shirt of your loved ones into a teddy bear or something similar. As mentioned, the practicalities of what the item is don’t matter as much as what it means to you.
Celebrating their day
Though it can certainly be a painful reminder of the fact that your loved one is no longer with you, a lot of people find that it can become an occasion of great meaning to take the time to celebrate their first birthday without them there. It doesn’t need to be a day of celebration, of course, but you can set aside even a few minutes in the day to honor them, to remember them, maybe to share a special grace or dedication at the dinner table, and to have the chance to speak aloud as to the positive ways that they have influenced your life and to share the wisdom they might have shared with you to others.
Telling their story
It always seems like there is more that we want to know about those people closest to us and, more often than not, some of the stories of their life might go untold. This is especially true for those of the generation previous to us, who have entires decades of their life before we were around. If you didn’t have enough time to reminisce with your loved one, then you might look into creating a storybook of memories from those who have known them from different periods of their life. You might even get a deeper and richer understanding of who they were as a person.
Talk to them
You might not be able to share the kind of conversation that you once did, but if your loved one is someone that you used to talk to every day, then it can feel like a rather significant void has opened in life once they are no longer with us. However, you might still be able to get the feeling of talking to them if you simply try. Take the time to find a quiet moment, perhaps in the privacy of your bedroom or by their resting place, to tell them about your day. You might be surprised how natural it feels and how you might even begin to envision the replies they would give. Our loved ones leave an imprint on us, a strong impression that can make it feel like they’re still with us when we need them.
Live how they would have wanted
Your loved one most likely would not have wanted you to stop your life in order to be worried about how to mourn them properly. Living on and living well is one of the best ways you can honor them. However, you might also want to think about the life lessons that they have passed on and consider what new dedications you make to living in their memory. You can also look at causes that they cared about and values they had, and find some way to incorporate them into your life, whether through donating in their name, volunteering your time, or otherwise.
Only you can decide what is a good and satisfactory way of keeping your loved one’s memory alive. Hopefully, the tips above give you some ideas on how to do it, however.
This is a contributed post.
