Meaningful Ways to Remember and Honour a Loved One (Family, Friends, or Pets)
Christmas songs and family gatherings are signposts of the completion of another year. Family and friends get together to laugh, linger, share good food and warm memories. It can also be a challenging time for many of us. As we reflect back on the loved ones who have transitioned to the other side and will no longer sit at our family table. For we miss their physical presence, their laughter, their loving gaze. For it seems as if nothing will ever be the same, how it used to be. A time of carefree abandonment and excitement in the air as Christmas approaches.
So December is a wonderful month to reflect back. On your lessons, dreams and goals you have achieved. The friendships that you made, the tears that you dried. and challenge you overcame with the support of another. Our loved ones are always around us regardless of the time of year. Our loved ones embrace us and lovingly inspire us to fulfil our purpose and live the life that they always wished for us. Reminding us it is a time of love, joy and peace on earth and good will to all people. It is a time to manifest the Christmas Spirit together.
How to Honour a Loved One’s Memory: Simple and Heartfelt Ideas:
Light a candle during the family meal to symbolize their presence at the gathering.
Sing their favourite Christmas song.
Bake their side dish or cookies.
Dedicate a toast to their memory at the holiday dinner.
Set a place at the table for them.
Acknowledge the honour of taking on their job of carving the Christmas turkey.
Memory Jar Activity. Family members are asked to write down a memory of a loved one in spirit on a slip of paper and place it in a jar. The memories can then be shared.
