Why Memorials for Loved Ones Matter After Loss

Creating memorials for loved ones who have passed on is something we've been doing for a very long time. The reason for this is simple: memorializing our lost family members and honoring a loved one's life helps with the healing process.

Memorials take many forms and are found in every culture. They range from posthumous portraits, through trees planted in loving memory, all the way up to grand buildings such as the Taj Mahal. All that's required for a memorial is a place to visit or an object that reminds you of the special people who have passed on and helps with the grieving process.

Creative Memorial Ideas for A Loved One

There is no end to the creative memorial ideas for remembering family members or friends who have passed away. Which is most suitable will depend on the departed and what reminds you of them best. The goal is to find a creative way to honor their life and serve as a token of remembrance that will last long after the funeral.

Art Commissions

Portrait Painting has been a popular form of remembrance for centuries, if not longer. There are examples stretching back all the way to ancient Egypt and beyond, which show friends and relatives of the deceased choosing to honor their spirit through paintings.

The styles of these paintings have changed through the years to fit with the cultural tastes of the day, but the core has remained the same: a simple way to honor those who have died and continue to feel their presence. Nowadays, many people choose to create customized Memorial Artworks to celebrate the life of a loved one. Some create a memorial corner where they add the portrait of the deceased alongside a beautiful floral decoration.

Memory Boxes and Legacy Albums

Memory boxes and albums of photographs of the departed offer another simple way to honor their memory and can help with the grieving process.

Memory boxes are filled with unique selections of items that remind us of those who have passed and can be taken out when we want to feel close to them again. These tactile memorial ideas are a fantastic way of sharing memories of the departed, especially with children who may be too young to really understand loss.

Another of the most popular memorial ideas, especially with those who are looking to show support to mourners with unique sympathy gifts, is a memorial photo album. The act of searching through your camera roll, looking for the perfect photograph to show the spirit of the deceased, can be very therapeutic and offers a fantastic chance to talk about your memories of them.

Charitable Acts and Foundations in Their Name

If the deceased had a cause close to their hearts, many people find that the most fitting way to commemorate their lives is to continue their work. For example, if the friend or family member who died loved dogs, a gift in their name to a local shelter might be appropriate.

Many people choose to create a website or use one of the many giving platforms online to raise funds for a favorite charity or cause. These platforms allow the family of the departed to request that mourners donate in their name, much like a digital collection at a funeral.

Taking this school of memorial ideas to the ultimate extreme, you could even create a charity named in the departed's honor.

Candlelight Vigils and Special Occasions

A candlelight vigil is a gathering of friends and family where they can come together to support each other through the grieving process. This simple act of remembrance gives those who attend a chance to talk and share memories of the deceased person and honor their life in a peaceful, often deeply moving, atmosphere.

Each mourner holds a candle as they gather in a single location- often a church or public space that meant something to the departed. These special occasions are not just a memorial; they're a public display of support and solidarity with those left behind.

Tree Planting, Memorial Stones, and Outdoor Tributes

Trees, benches, and even memorial wind chimes are increasingly popular ways of remembering those who have passed.

These outdoor memorials can offer a great sense of peace when we visit them. Sitting in the shade of a memorial tree as it flowers in spring or simply resting on a bench dedicated to a departed loved one can often provide the inspiration to share a story or two of their lives.

Anniversary Gatherings and Storytelling

Many people find that getting together in remembrance of the departed, either on the anniversary of their passing or a birthday or another significant date, offers a way to continue to celebrate their lives long after the funeral is over.

These gatherings can take many forms. Friends and family gathering to share a meal and tell a story or two is perhaps the most common, but there are many creative options out there, ranging from group hikes to annual memorial games of bowling. Whatever you choose to do at your gathering, the important thing is that it allows friends and family members to continue to show support to each other as the grieving process continues.

A Digital Memorial Page

In the digital age, much of our lives are lived online, so it shouldn't be surprising that the grieving process has been digitized too. Many families opt to turn the deceased's social media into a memorial page. Friends and family can use them to write their condolences and share memories, offering support and a vital reminder of just how many lives they touched.

Another computerized option is to create a website in their memory. This online obituary is the ideal location to share a favourite photograph, poem, or story and can serve as a digital memorial, accessible to loved ones around the world.

Digital Slideshows and Video Tributes

Often, when a person has passed, the most striking reminders of them will be photographs and video recordings. Collecting these together into a digital slideshow that can be shown at the funeral or shared with family and friends is a powerful way to celebrate a life.

Just like the personalized memorial gifts we mentioned above when talking about photograph albums, going through a collection of pictures of a departed friend or family member can be a powerful way of remembering them in its own right.

Why do memorial portraits hit differently?

Memorial portraits are perhaps the most powerful visual reminder of a loved one who has passed on. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that's perhaps never more true than when it comes to memorials.

Whether you choose to have a favorite photograph framed or a custom portrait painted, humans are visual creatures, and seeing the face of a loved one who has left us can give the sense that that person is still a part of our lives.

Portraits don't have to be framed either; they can be worn. Lockets (sometimes even containing the ashes of the departed) have been a popular form of memorial jewelry since the Medieval period, allowing mourners to always feel close to their lost loved one.

Choosing What Feels Right for You

Mourning is a deeply personal experience, and no one ever feels loss in quite the same way. The idea of 'loss categories' and some forms of grieving being more valid or 'proper' than others can feel stifling.

Memorials offer a chance to shrug off the formality of a funeral and commemorate your loved one in a unique way that feels most fitting to you. There are no 'cookie-cutter' solutions to grief, so you should feel free to be as creative as you feel when it comes to your choices. All that really matters is that you feel you are honoring your loved one in the right way.

Conclusion: Honoring a Loved One in Your Own Way

A memorial is a personal tribute to someone who has passed on. This means that they should reflect not only the departed person but also those left behind.

Perhaps most importantly, memorials serve to celebrate our relationships with the loved one in question and our personal memories of them, so when you create them, you should feel free to create something that's every bit as unique as they were.