When a loved one has passed, you have several immediate considerations to take into account, including funeral planning, financial logistics, cremation and interment, and so on. Ideally, you’ve spent some time with your family and loved one preplanning for this event, and this list represent mostly one-time actions. Once you get through that first wave of activity, you’ll have to decide how to honor your loved one’s legacy over time. Here are a few ways to carry on that person’s memory:
1. Flowers on the Grave
This is such a traditional, timeless classic that it would be remiss not to include. The tradition may date back thousands of years and means different things to different people. Certain flower varieties also denote specific ideas, according to Monuments.com – for example, red roses signify love and courage, yellow roses stand for friendship, lilies confer purity, and chrysanthemums evoke truth. It’s important to note that flowers are an acceptable way to memorialize not only those who have been buried, but individuals who have been cremated and interred, too.
“Columbaria offer an opportunity to honor your loved one’s memory.”
2. Interment in a Columbarium
The columbarium is an elegant way to assemble and display your loved one’s most prized possessions with his or her cremated remains in a beautiful monument. Some of the finest columbaria feature stained glass windows, classic architecture, mosaic tile floors, and balconies. These facilities are maintained professionally and offer friends and family an opportunity to honor your loved one’s memory.
3. Hold a Remembrance Reunion
The silver lining in some funerals is that they bring together family and friends that don’t always have an opportunity to gather. While the funeral is a tragic circumstance, families can reunite on a regular basis – yearly, every few years, whatever the case may be – to remember their common loved one. This is a great time to display that person’s life, accomplishments, and belongings in an intimate setting.
4. Donate to Charity
While tokens of remembrance like flowers or belongings are worthy ways to honor a loved one’s memory, you might choose to do something with more tangible results. In many funerals, families ask for donations to a worthy charity or cause in lieu of flowers or gifts, according to Funeral Wise. If your loved one had a preferred charity, or passed due to a particular ailment, you might consider making an annual donation in his or her name.
5. Pass Down Your Loved One’s Story
The most important thing in honoring your loved one’s memory is to keep that memory from fading through generations. If you have children, grandchildren, or young nieces and nephews, make sure they hear stories and memories from your loved one’s life. Doing so will retain his or her legacy for generations to come.
In planning out how to honor a life, remember to use all the resources available. Neptune Society can help with preplanning needs, allowing you to give more time to preparing a sustainable tribute to your loved one’s legacy.
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The Neptune Society is the nation’s oldest and largest provider of affordable cremation services. Whether you have an immediate need or want to plan cremation services in advance, we are always available to assist you and your family.
Call 1-800-NEPTUNE (800-637-8863) today or contact us online to learn more.
