Celebrating A Life Well-Lived: 3 Practical Ideas

In as much as death may take away a close relative, memories of the deceased person often linger in the mind of the bereaved for the rest of their lives.

There are various ways through which a bereaved relative can preserve memories of their late loved ones. Discussed below are three practical ways to preserve the memory of a lost loved one.

Memorial Street Furniture

Bereaved persons can choose to preserve memories of their lost loved ones by donating street furniture (e.g. benches and picnic settings) to the relevant government agencies in memory of the deceased person.

For example, the state of Victoria accepts furniture donations from the public for use in public spaces such as parks, bus stands, and taxi ranks. Those interested in making memorial street furniture donations are only required to ensure that their furniture items meet the requirements spelt out for street furniture are met. These requirements often include, but they're not limited to the following:

• That furniture items be made of a sturdy material that will not be vandalized easily
• That the material (to be) used on street furniture items should be weather-resistant and low-maintenance
• That the design of street furniture items should be user-friendly to persons with disability among other special interest groups.

Custom-made street furniture bearing the name (and perhaps image) of a deceased loved one doesn't sound like such a bad idea, does it?

Poetry

Actions may be louder than words. In certain circumstances, however, words are able to express emotions and feelings better than any action(s) that an individual would have taken.

The thing about poems is that they focus on specific details about their subject. Often, these details combine to give a beautiful mental picture of the poem's subject.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to have each family member of the deceased (and perhaps a few close friends) jot down a few rhyming lines about the departed soul. This would create an impressive collection of poems that would be an accurate representation of the life and times of the deceased.

The Internet

Establishing a tribute website for a deceased loved one is another practical way to ensure that memories of a deceased loved one stay etched in the minds of the bereaved.

Such a website would possibly be divided into various sections with each section representing various interests of the deceased. Relatives and close friends of the deceased would then be able to share their memories of the deceased by uploading relevant photos, videos and even quotes previously used by the deceased person on a regular basis.

The physical departure of a loved one is never the end. Celebrate and honour the life of a deceased loved one by implementing any of the ideas discussed above.