Losing a loved one always hurts, but honouring their memory is a good way to help process the loss. Celebrating a life well-lived helps ease the pain and focus on what you shared with your loved ones as you proceed through mourning. One powerful method of coming to terms with the grief is finding creative memorials to remember them by. Think of it as a way to find comfort and meaning in the more unexpected of places. Here are a few ideas to help honour the deceased and help you come to terms with the loss.
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1. Make a scrapbook
Photos are a great way to remember and commemorate those you’ve lost. Think of them as a means of immortalizing the dead in image form long after they’ve passed. Collect as your favourite of the deceased to make a scrapbook and share the memories of the good times you had. Source out other friends and family on social media to get as many photos as you can, and share the resulting scrapbook online so all of you can share in those good memories together.
2. Save them a seat
Saving someone a seat often works as a sign that someone’s expected in that spot. Save your loved ones a spot at gatherings after they’ve gone as a way to keep them with you in spirit. For large family gatherings, you may also want to leave a spot open as well. Think of it as a way of saying “Gone, but not forgotten.”
3. Eat their favourites
Another good way of honouring your loved ones is bringing back their old favourites, including food. Food has a way of bringing people together, whether it’s through funeral catering services in Toronto or through reminiscing about your loved ones’ favourite dishes. Many of us have memories that come to mind when it comes to food, so eating those old favourites can be a good opportunity to share a meal that reminds you of the deceased.
4. Do something you enjoyed together
Food isn’t the only thing that can bring you and your loved ones together right now. If there was a favourite thing you and the deceased used to do together, now might be a good time to give that activity a try. Did you like walking in the park or playing board games at home? Try doing those things together to help bring back how those things made you feel. These experiences don’t have to end with the loss of your loved one, and they’re a great way to help remember the sound of their laughter or the look on their faces when they were happy.
5. Have a movie night
Was there a movie your loved one was especially fond of? Then why not arrange for a movie night and watch it together. Finding the fun in that movie is a way you can keep the memories alive. Maybe there was a line they really liked, or a scene that brings back a fond memory that can make you think back on the happy times. Art can work as a time capsule, so use it to help preserve those happy memories of doing something you all enjoyed.
It’s never easy losing a loved one, but these ideas can be a good place to start with coming to terms with the loss.
