Memorial Services: Remembering A Loved One In
Your Own Way
Author: Ben Anton

Grieving a lost loved one is never easy. One of the best
therapies for this grief is to honor their life and give them a
memorial service. Most people don't think beyond the traditional
memorial service. There are many alternative, or untraditional,
memorial service options. These can range from simple memorial
poems to elaborate funeral memorials. When searching for the
perfect memorial for a loved one don't forget some of these
other options.

Some people opt for the traditional memorial service at a
funeral home or graveside. These can be enhanced by a nice
memorial poem. Poems for lost loved ones can range from simple,
emotion-filled lines to elaborate, flowing pieces with imagery
and structure. These poems may be read at the service, posted
online in honor of the lost loved one, shared with family, or
simply kept with other mementos. The simple act of writing one's
feelings has a very therapeutic effect and can help the healing
process. Others may be having the same feelings and emotions and
by reading the poem it may help them work along the grieving
track.

The internet offers many other options, as well. Posting the
obituary online or online funeral messages may help spread the
word. Online memorials set up for a loved one can help to speed
the healing. This offers the opportunity of celebrating their
life. Posting their accomplishments and pictures will allow all
those unable to make it to a service to grieve, also. A collage
of photos, favorite quotes, favorite song clips, and even links
to their favorite causes can fill this online memorial. This can
be an evolving memorial. Allowing others to post their memories
and special times with the lost will truly celebrate their life
and honor them. Open it up and allow others to post favorite
pictures or quotes from the person and watch as the memorial
takes new shape and memories blossom.

Some people take this even farther and have an online funeral.
This allows everyone to reach out and help each other heal.
Those who are limited due to disability, geography, or other
hurdles may attend an online funeral and share in the sadness
and joy that may accompany a celebration of the loved one's
life. Video feed from the actual funeral service can be placed
online or fed live during the service. Others will feel as if
they are right there and feel a part of the process. This allows
everyone the opportunity to be involved with laying the person's
soul to rest.

When deciding on how to remember a loved one the possibilities
are endless. Imagination can go a long way when planning an
untraditional memorial. A video showing clips and photos of the
person with voice-overs from family and friends is a good
option. Planning a celebration of the person's life centered on
things they enjoyed can help everyone remember them as they were
in life. A memorial service for an avid scuba diver might take
place in a favorite dive spot, or even underwater. The memories,
and tears, may flow freely but the cleansing nature will be
helpful. Share joys and favorite times and honor them in a place
where they found joy.

Another popular form of memorial for a loved one is to give to
a charity or favorite cause in their name. Taking this theme a
little further, some families have volunteered, as a group, to
assist the cause. A trip to the local Red Cross Blood Donor
Center in honor of a lost loved one who volunteered with Red
Cross would make a great tribute to their accomplishments in
life. Whether giving money or blood, this is a true memorial to
a loved one.

Whether holding a traditional funeral service or an
untraditional online memorial, the most important step after the
death of a loved one is to start the healing process. This
involves going through the grieving process and finding a way to
honor and remember the person. If posting their history and
memories to a public website does not feel right, make a
special, password-protected site that only family can access. It
becomes an intimate memorial but allows those separated by
geography to share in the grieving, and healing, process.
Remember, a memorial for a lost loved one can be a simple poem
or an elaborate memorial service, but the most important factor
is the celebration of their life and accomplishments.

~Ben Anton, 2007


About The Author: For more information on setting up an online
memorial tribute, visit http://www.valleyoflife.com.