If you are here, you’re probably at a stage of grief where you are now looking to help keep the memory of your loved one alive. Facebook memories are great for that on their birthdays if they were special enough for you to give birthday shout outs!  They are also good for general reminders of cherished moments you shared that you thought enough of to document via photos and posting on social media.  You can share them to your page, story, download and share on other social media platforms, or a simple reaction to them or comment on them will put it back in your friend’s timelines and help them share in your reminiscing.

However, some people do not post on social media enough to even get any routine reminders of memories of loved ones and that is totally ok.  If you are not a big social media person with tons of memories and even if you are but you are looking to go a step further, I’ve compiled a few things you can do on different levels that you might find comforting and honorable to reflect upon and/or cherish the memory of your loved one(s).

Low Time Commitment

1. Read their obituary or read through their funeral program if one was provided. (Keep all funeral programs for deceased loved ones in an enclosed container so they remain in tact.)
2. Choose one of your most memorable photos and have it created into a canvas print to hang up.
3. If there is a gravesite, visit and clean or put flowers at the site.
4. Burn a candle all day on their birthday, during special family events/holiday or on the anniversary of their passing.
5. Plan a family gathering in their honor doing something they loved doing or just a dinner/cookout.

Medium Time Commitment

1. Collect their t-shirts, choose your favorites that display a well-rounded mixture of who they were and have them made into a blanket/quilt.
2. Make a scrapbook of their life or your time together.
3. Take up a hobby that was of interest to them or a new hobby for yourself.
4. Make a memento (bookmark, magnet, t-shirt, etc.) to distribute for their birthday that reminds people of them.
5. Organize an isolated mission minded event in their honor (if they were a professional, maybe a tie/suit drive to help people who don’t have business suits get a step up in the world, if they volunteered at a homeless shelter, collect socks or toiletries, etc.).
6. If you were not asked to do remarks or not in a state to do remarks upon their passing, write a letter or poem to email to your friends and family or post on your social media/blog/etc.
7. Participate in programs designed just for this: church anniversaries, organizations usually memorialize members at conferences and conventions.
8. Plan an activity: memorial/celebration, a tournament (basketball), card party

Large Time Commitment

1. Stand in the gap! If they were passionate about volunteering somewhere or mentoring someone, take that on as your new adventure and keep their memory close as you participate in that activity.
2. Keep and nurture some of  your plants that your Framily (friends and family) sent to the funeral home.
3. If lost to illness or tragedy, then plan an event to promote awareness or raise money to fight the disease.
   1. Runs/Obstacle Courses/Fitness Inspired Events, Street/Block Parties, Awards Shows, Food Festivals etc.
4. Alternatively, you you could make a personal donation toward organizations that support said causes and make the donation in honor of your loved one’s memory.
5. Do a Scholarship in their name (the time commitment comes from how you will raise the money for the funds).
6. Write a biography or memoir about the person’s life’s work, achievements or a particular inspiring season of their life. Alternatively, write a book of your own interest but dedicate it to them.
7. Start a business using their name or them as inspiration.

You will always have people who get tattoos, release balloons/lanterns, or come up with creative memorials like the grass portrait of Kobe Bryant.  There are many tried and true  ways and your creativity can take you to whatever level you wish.  The main thing is that you do what is best for you so that you are comfortable with the amount of energy involved and the emotions that are stirred up as a result of the execution and feedback that comes along with any of the items listed above.

Bonus: You can do a blog post!

“Dedicated to Larry D. Brox, Esq. 1979-2018”

Always….