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Remembering Loved Ones
The 11th of November is coming up this Friday which is Remembrance Day. The day we pay our respects to those soldiers who died in the First World War.
To do this we wear poppies as a way to mark the day, we lay flowers, we march wearing the medals of our grandfathers and great grandfathers, we hold services where a bugler will sound the “Last Post” and we observe a one minute silence.
We do all these things so as not to forget those people who died for our freedom. It’s one day out of the year that is set aside to specifically think about those men and woman. We do this, even if we never knew any of them personally, so what do we do to remember those loved ones that we did know?
Here are some ideas that you might like to use when you choose your own day of remembrance for your loved ones.
Gather relatives and have your own day of remembrance for those family members who have died. You could incorporate some of the ideas below at your gathering.
Play their favourite song - you could do this at your gathering or you could listen privately - anywhere. We all know the power of an old song to trigger vivid memories that seem to transport us back in time and space. Music has the ability to evoke such strong memories of people and places.
Get all the grandchildren and try to emulate Nana’s famous biscuit recipe. Whilst you're all there, stories about all the things you loved about your Nana can be shared, passing on the love to the younger members of your family.
Go to their favourite park for a picnic - Go with family and share in the day remembering and swapping stories. It may help you to feel closer to them and if you choose to go on your own, gives you a quite place to reflect.
Plant a tree in their honour - You may have heard of planting a tree in celebration of a birth; the same logic applies for a death. The tree symbolises not the fact that your loved one has died, but that they lived. A flowering tree is great because when the tree blossoms every year, the branches can be brought into the house, symbolising the celebration of that life.
Dedicate a memorial bench - I love wandering through parks reading the memorial plaques on benches, thinking about who the people could have been and what their lives were like. This is a place that you can go to actively think about your loved one and if the bench is in a place that they loved to go, that can help you to feel that bit closer to them as well.
Light a candle - This has always been symbolic in memorials. Gazing at flame helps you to focus your thinking on their memory. Just be careful not to leave the flame burning when you're not there!
Create a book of stories about your loved one - Ask family and friends for their favourite stories and precious memories, include photos and make a treasured keepsake.
Display old photos of your loved one in a creative way - It's nice to display pictures instead of keeping them tucked away in a photo album. Friends and family members can be hesitant to discuss their deceased loved one, but pictures can be very comforting to those who are grieving.
To make the special day even more memorable, you could add a meaningful ceremony to your day.
It takes nothing to speak to one of our TCN Celebrants who can help you to arrange the perfect tribute for your loved one.
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