Ways to Remember a Loved One

When someone important to you dies, the pain of grief can be intense. You may find yourself facing the paradox of trying to move past the loss while at the same time holding on to treasured memories. One of the best ways to find comfort and begin the healing process is to honour the memory of your loved one. By commemorating the things you loved about that person, you can find joy within your grief, as you celebrate all that made your loved one unique and wonderful.

There is an old saying: “Grief shared is grief diminished.” When people come together to mourn the loss of someone important to them, they share each other’s burden and thus make it lighter. One wonderful way to accomplish this is by sharing good memories, and this can be done beautifully at a memorial or celebration of life. How will you memorialise your loved one? We have some suggestions.

• Make the service special. Every person is different, and every memorial service can be different, as well. What were your loved ones’ passions? How would he or she want to be remembered? While you are planning a memorial service, think about music that was special to the person who has died, authors he or she enjoyed, favourite hobbies or pastimes and anything else memorable. You can accomplish some of this at the funeral, perhaps by choosing a Green or Woodland burial for an eco-conscious person, or having a military or horse-drawn funeral. The memorial service, however, can be a less formal affair, held at a different time. You can hold the memorial at a location special to your loved one, like the beach or a garden. You can serve the person’s favourite foods, show a memorial video, and perhaps even give out favours. The favours can be a nod to a beloved pastime, like a favourite recipe from someone who loved to cook, a packet of flower seeds to memorialise an avid gardener, or even a deck of playing cards if your loved one enjoyed playing games.
  
  
• Plan a lasting outdoor memorial. Perhaps you could plant a tree in honour of your loved one or even plant a memorial garden. If you are honouring someone important to a friend, you might send the family a plant to put in the garden in their loved one’s honour. Maybe you could have a memorial bench made, with a message remembering the person, or have a plaque placed somewhere significant.
  
  
• Create memorial gifts to share with others. This can be something simple, like a memorial candle or vase. However, you can also do something more personal, like using the person’s clothing to create quilts or stuffed animals to share with other loved ones. You can have photos printed to share, or come up with a keepsake that will remind them of the person who has died. You can create a scrapbook to share when others come to visit you, or create a digital scrapbook that is easy to share online.
  
  
• Support a cause that was meaningful to your loved one. You can ask for donations in lieu of flowers, create a scholarship in his or her honour, volunteer for an important cause, hold a food or toy drive, or simply donate in your loved one’s memory each year. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and you can certainly find your own ways to contribute.
  
  
• Remember special dates. Some people choose to mark the anniversary of a person’s death, while others choose to celebrate on the person’s birthday. How you choose to remember your loved one is up to you. You might want to host a gathering, where you all watch the person’s favourite movie or eat a favourite meal, or even visit a place that was meaningful to your loved one. On the other hand, you may want to opt for a quieter celebration, remembering on your own by visiting the person’s final resting place, lighting a candle, saying a prayer or simply spending the day in reflection.

When you need help planning a funeral or life celebration, choose funeral services from a business with experience, compassion, and strong ties to the community. Founded in 2002 by Nigel Gillard, Bridgwater Funeral Services Limited, in the centre of Bridgwater, Somerset, is a family business that provides personal service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Nigel has been working in the funeral business for over 15 years, and his daughter Corrinne Foster, who is the highest qualified Funeral Director in the area, assists in running the business. We are committed to taking care of all funeral arrangements, welcoming our clients into a professional, friendly environment, with a luxurious waiting room and a beautiful Chapel of Rest. We offer Green and Woodland burials, horse-drawn funerals, military funerals, and services in all religious denominations as well as non-religious and humanist life celebrations. We also offer low-cost funerals and Golden Charter pre-paid funeral plans. If you have queries about the services we offer, or you just need help and advice, please do not hesitate to call us at 01278 457755, pop into our office on Bristol Road, or contact us through our website.