Let the deceased's personality inspire her memorial.
Paying tribute to a deceased loved one is a way to keep her memory alive long after her funeral. Honoring her life will also help you find closure and remember all the positive things she brought into your life instead of focusing on her death. Unlike a funeral, the steps you take to honor her life should make you smile and bring joy to others too. Through memorials and acts of kindness, you can help other people remember and appreciate the person who has died.
Instructions
1. Hold a memorial service sometime after the funeral. Choose a date a week later or a year later; it's up to you and the other people closest to your passed loved one. Invite the person of honor's family and friends to a park, restaurant or your home to share food, drinks and memories of the deceased. Display photos and other mementos of the person's life for guests to admire.
2. Make some tribute to the person of honor at the end of the memorial service. Light candles and have a moment of silence or release butterflies or Chinese sky lanterns into the air.
3. Donate money in the name of the deceased. Ask others to do the same, in lieu of funeral flowers, if you're the one writing the person's obituary and getting it printed in the local paper. Choose a foundation that the person supported or would have liked; for instance, if she was an animal lover, choose a local animal shelter.
4. Volunteer your time or services to an organization that had meaning for the deceased. Drop off homemade cookies to the retirement home where she lived, volunteer as a fundraiser for a charity she supported or donate supplies to needy people in her neighborhood. Make your volunteer work a standing appointment so you can honor her regularly throughout the year.
5. Fill your home with mementos that remind you of the deceased. Hang framed photos of her in central areas of your home. If you have any of her personal items in your possession, display them in a prominent way. Place trophies, medals, flags, books or whatever you have of hers on a shelf in your living room or bedroom so you'll think of her whenever you walk through.
6. Tend to her burial spot. Visit once a month to clear debris away and leave flowers. Bring a blanket and a picnic lunch and spend some time "visiting" with her.
Tags: your home, after funeral, memorial service, other people, person honor
