10 Ways to Honour a Loved One Who Has Passed

Saying goodbye to a loved one will never be easy, but honouring their memory though actions big and small can help you to cope with your grief. Everyone deals with grief in different ways, but we generally find comfort in community. If you’re looking for a way to honour your loved one, the best place to start is with the other people that are also grieving their loss.

You don’t have to tackle this alone. You can band together with friends and family to come up with a creative way to say your goodbyes. And of course, there are also the simple and quiet ways we say goodbye on our own. Read on to learn 10 creative ways to honour the memory of someone you have lost, either with a group or on your own.

1. Plant a tree or a garden

Planting a tree or even an entire garden is a beautiful way to give back to your community while also saying goodbye. The tree will stand for generations, giving shelter and comfort to all who sit under it.
It’s also great for the environment and will provide habitat for wildlife. And when you need a place to have a quiet moment to think about your loved one, you’ll know exactly where to go. You could even have a plaque made so that everyone knows why the tree was planted and the name of the person it honours.

2. Connect with the things they loved

You can learn a lot about a person by enjoying the things that they loved in life. This could mean watching their favourite film, seeing their favourite band, or reading their favourite book. The arts connect us with the collective human spirit, and you’ll learn a lot about your loved one when you engage with the things that made them laugh and cry in life. Not to mention, this is also a great way to bring people together and find common ground.

3. Cook their favourite meal

Food connects us to our past and can trigger long dormant memories. By cooking your loved ones favourite food – either alone or with a group of people – you can experience something that you know they loved in life. Cooking is also a pleasant communal activity that can help you to connect with loved ones. There is a common goal and then a rewarding pay off at the end when everything is done. For this one, the more complicated the recipe, the better!

4. Visit their favourite places

Did they have a spot they would always visit on holiday, or something closer to home in Bristol, such as a favourite hiking route? Visiting the places that your loved one connected with in life is a great way to honour their memory. This is something you can try doing alone or as part of a group.

5. Complete their bucket list items

If your loved one died suddenly, there may be things you know that they wanted to achieve in life that they never got to do. If you know that they really wanted to visit a particular place, or try a daring feat like a bungee jump, why not do it for them? You might need to push yourself out of your comfort zone, but it can be an excellent way to honour their memory and understand who they were as a person.

6. Write them a letter

This is another excellent choice if your loved one died unexpectedly. You might have a lot of things you wish you could have said to them, but they died before you had a chance. Try putting this down in a letter to see if it improves your outlook and feelings about the situation.
This is your chance to say all of the things you wish you could have said when they were still alive. You can then leave this as their grave, keep it in your possession, or even burn it. The important thing is writing the letter, not what you do with it. You can write a letter to your loved one as often as you like, and some people even find this as positive as keeping a journal.

7. Make a piece of jewellery

If you want to honour your loved one in a discreet and private way, consider a piece of memorial jewellery, such as a memorial ring. This will contain a small amount of cremation ashes in a sealed container at the heart of the memorial jewellery. You can keep this with you at all times, or only wear it on special occasions. It will bring you comfort and reassurance in times of need.

8. Raise money for charity

Raising money for charity is great because you can benefit from the distraction, and your wider community will also benefit from the funds raised. You could do a physical challenge, like climbing a mountain or running a marathon. Or you could raise money using your unique skills such as performing at a charity event or baking treats for a bake sale. There are many ways to honour a loved one and do good at the same time when you turn your attention to volunteering.

9. Organise an event

If your loved one was passionate about music, literature or sports, you could organise an event in their memory. It can be a small event just for friends and family, or you advertise it publicly to get the attention of the wider community.

10. Make a memory book

A memory book is a great way to connect with your loved one and honour their memory. You can fill it with photographs, mementoes, funny anecdotes and anything else you want to remember about your loved one. You can make the memory book on your own, or get together with friends and family to share memories and build your own books.
This is a great option for children, as they will often find they can process their grief better through creative activities. It also means they’ll have something to flick through when they are feeling sad and want to remember their loved one. And as they get older and their memories become less powerful, they will always have something to return to.