Losing a loved one is never easy. The shock from having them in your life to not can be sudden and powerful.
After they’re gone, one of the biggest concerns is how you will remember them. Thankfully, even after they’re gone they will continue to impact your life.
Keep reading for 7 creative ways to remember a loved one after they’re gone.
1. Do Something Special on Their Birthday
The first birthday after they’ve passed away can be challenging to get through. Yet choosing to celebrate their birthday after they’ve gone will ensure that day always has a special meaning.
Consider doing something on their birthday that they liked to do, whether that means traveling to a place that was dear to them or cooking a big meal. You can also choose to celebrate that day with other friends and family members that were close to them.
Have a large gathering will let you commemorate their lives and raise a toast in their honor.
If they enjoyed a skill or a hobby, you can also try to become more familiar with it on their birthday.
2. Share Their Stories
When a loved one passes away, stories and memories are all that remains of them.
Having photos of them around your house from different moments will allow you to remember some of the times you shared together. It will also let you share those moments with others visiting your house.
You can arrange a special spot in your house dedicated to your loved one. When people visit, you can walk them through some of the important moments of their life.
If you have younger family members who didn’t know your loved one as well, sharing stories with them can allow them to have a better understanding of who they were. This will allow them to form a deeper connection with your loved one, even though they are no longer here.
3. Keep Something of Theirs Closeby
Keeping items that were valuable to your loved one closeby can be a great way to honor the dead. This will also help them continue to feel close to your heart.
If they had a piece of jewelry or watch that they wore, you can see how it feels to wear it yourself. The same can be done for pieces of clothing.
If you’re not interested in wearing their clothing, you can frame something that was important to them. Some companies even take old pieces of clothing and make them into cushions or pillows.
Other people choose to wear ash necklaces, which let their loved ones be with them wherever they go.
4. Support a Cause They Believed in
If your loved one felt passionately about a social cause, choosing to support it can be a great way to continue their work after they’re gone.
Many websites, such as GoFundMe, give you the opportunity to fundraise for a cause. By creating a fundraiser in their name, your loved one will continue to directly impact others’ lives even though they’re no longer here.
Many people also choose to start education funds in the name of their loved ones. If they attended university, consider creating a scholarship or endowment in their name.
You can also decide to sponsor a child or an animal through a charity.
5. Visit Special Places
Where was the place you and your loved one first met? Where were some other places you made happy memories? Did you ever travel together?
After they’ve past away, consider going to places that were important to them. By going to these places, you will be able to enjoy your time with yourself, while also remembering your loved one.
Aside from traveling to these places, you can also choose to write a letter to them each time you go. Say what you miss about them, talk about the memories made; nothing you’re feeling is wrong.
6. Dedicate Something to Them
A gravesite or memorial can be touching, but sometimes you want to give them something more. Dedicating an object or a place can be a great way to further honor a deceased loved one.
If they enjoyed performing arts, many places allow you to dedicate seats to them. This can be done in concert halls, theaters, and opera houses.
In parks, dedicating benches to loved ones is also a common practice. If they were a nature lover, trees or woodland acres can also be named after them.
By dedicating a place or an object to your loved one, people will learn more about who they were.
7. Shine a Light on Their Life
Lighting a candle can be an excellent way to commemorate a loved one, especially if a group of people is involved.
Candles, lights, and fire have been used to remember people for centuries. Now with the internet, it’s easier than ever to get a group of people to come together and celebrate the life of your deceased loved one.
Create an event on a social media platform such as Facebook or Twitter. You can also create a hashtag, which makes it easy to keep track of the memorial’s activity.
You can do these sorts of vigils and memorials annually or on different dates. Perhaps you want to commemorate their birthday, as well as the day you two met.
Creative Ways to Remember a Loved One That Work
It’s important to research different creative ways to remember a loved one once they pass away.
By honoring them, you are ensuring that their memory and accomplishments continue to live on, even though they are no longer here.
Love does not stop with death, and the relationship you shared with them will continue to live on.
Check out our other blog posts for more tips on how to live a healthier and more fulfilling life.
