Healing Touches: Planning a Memorial or Funeral
Letters of memories, love, and connection.
(Credit: Galleryhip.com)
1) Celebrate Color
The traditional funeral color scheme may be black on black (maybe grey), but your loved one experienced a unique and vibrant life – so why not bring some color into their service? Why not plan a memorial dinner like our friends at Death Over Dinner? The right shade can echo a precious memory or simply evoke the personality of the loved one.
2) Celebrate Memories
It can be easy to feel alone in the stages of grief. Create a special box for visitors to place comforting, anonymous letters filled with thoughts about your loved one. At the end of the service, hand out the letters at random to create a unique parting gift: a memory that can now be shared.
Credit: Crosswalk.com
3) Celebrate “Full Circle”
Place a small packet of seeds under the chair of every attendee to take home after the memorial or funeral service. The seeds could be for anything that speak to the individuality of your loved one’s life, be it their favorite flower, tree, or season. The point is that your guests leave with a reminder that from death comes life, and through planting their seeds, they bring new vitality to the memory of a loved one.
What are some the elements of your funeral or memorial planning checklist? We look forward to your comments below.
Related SevenPonds Articles:
- Flower Power: Oils for Loss and the Stages of Grief
- Understand the “Environmental and Social Imapact of Flowers” during a memorial or funeral ceremony.
- What is the Art of the Dying? Fabric and thread artist Deidre Scherer captures the journey of the dying process. Check out our interview with her.
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I love your suggestion about the special box. This is a great way to provide special memories for the family. I am sure that the loved ones of the recently deceased will be very grateful to read all of those comforting thoughts and relished memories of their loved one.
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The entire family had already anticipated my mother’s death and tried to prepare ourselves for it, but we still all ended up grieving. She has been a real sweetheart to everyone she knows and I wanted to make the memorial extra special for her and for everyone. I love all the creative touches you stated especially the part where every visitor may bring home a packet of seeds they could grow. In that way, I could make myself believe that everyone’s memories of my mother will live on. I’d see to it that this is going to be a part of the parting ceremony once I settle with a funeral service company.
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Hi Zoe, thank you for sharing and we are happy you enjoyed our tips.
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Thanks we appreciate it.
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