Losing a loved one is one of the most devastating and heart-breaking things anyone can go through.
About 500,000 people in the UK die every year; that means that a significant number of people may have encountered losing a loved one at some point. But while you may lose that person’s physical presence, it does not necessarily mean you have lost them forever. They live in your memories, and you can use those fond periods to cherish and honour them as you move on with your life and find happiness again. Here are some thoughtful and respectful ways to keep your loved ones forever in your heart.
- Visit their favourite places
Sometimes when you lose a loved one, you try as much as possible to avoid places they usually frequented. If that is your way of coping with your grief, that is fine, but if you are looking to honour and keep your loved one’s memory alive, then you can visit all their favourite places. It is even better if it was a shared favourite spot between the two of you. Whether it was a particular park or coffee shop, ensure that you visit as much as you can. You can even write them a letter telling them what you encounter each time you visit. They might not see it, but it can be therapeutic.
2.Celebrate their birthday
Celebrating a loved one’s birthday, especially if they just died, can be difficult and tough to go through, but you can turn it into a special day to honour them. You and your family or friends can organise special events to share how the deceased person impacted your life and any fond memories you have of them. Alternatively, you can spend the day doing some of the favourite things that they loved to do while they were alive.
3,Have a personal memorial set up
When you are grieving the loss of a loved one, it sometimes helps to visit a site where you feel closest to them. Usually, this tends to be the gravesite where that person was buried. You can personalise that site by decorating their headstones with flowers, stuffed animals, and sweet messages. If it is not a gravesite, then you can set up a memorial bench at a unique location or plant a tree in their honour.
4. Create a scholarship or give back
If your loved one was passionate about a cause such as providing quality education to the needy, you could create a scholarship in their memory to keep their practice alive. Although people typically set up these funds within the first few years of losing a loved one, you can set it up at any given time. You can also set up a charity in their honour based on their interests. So, if you know their career, hobbies, political affiliation, or religion, it could help you find the right cause they would have loved to support while alive.
Death might seem final, but the love and memory you have of the people you might have lost still lives on. Grieving is not the best experience, but with these creative outlets, you can express your grief and move on with life while honouring the lives of those near and dear to you.
This is a collaboration post
The Coastal Mummy 