Dealing with the loss of a loved one is never easy. One of the best ways to process that grief is to honor their life with friends and family.
At a certain point in your life, you will inevitably face the passing of someone you love. While everyone copes with loss differently, one of the most important parts of the grieving process is finding ways to honor loved ones who have passed.
Host an Event in Their Memory
A great way to ease the pain of loss is to tell stories of how they impacted your life and hear how they impacted everyone else around you. Whether you want to hold a gathering at home for friends and family, host a cookout in their favorite park or just get a big table at their favorite restaurant, getting together over a shared love for someone and swapping stories will help you cope and even build new relationships.
Make a Donation in Their Name
This is an easy way to honor your loved one and ensure their legacy can live on in a small way. Everyone has projects or principles that they’re passionate about, and giving to a loved one’s favorite charitable organization is a great way to spread their name and their love and to support a good cause. Donating to a local animal shelter, youth sports program or veterans’ support group will help both the organizations and the community.
Make a Shadow Box
One of the more creative ways to honor your loved one is to make a shadow box. You can fill your shadow box with just about anything you can think of — photographs, tickets, awards, etc. When you’re putting it together, really think about all the wonderful memories you’ve made with that person, and try to capture the essence of those memories in your shadow box. It can be a gentle reminder that, even though your loved one is gone, they are never forgotten.
Tell Their Story
This one is the most straightforward — when someone or something reminds you of them, talk about it! Letting other people know about your fond memories will build and strengthen relationships and reinforce your attachment to your loved one.
These are just a few of the many, many ways to honor loved ones who have passed. Getting people together, contributing to a favorite charity, talking about them and making shadow boxes can all be therapeutic, effective methods of coping in a healthy way.