If you have recently lost a loved one, you are probably feeling your way through the complex maze of grief. Here are just a few ways to remember your loved one during the holiday season.

  • During our holiday shopping, we may see gifts our loved one would have enjoyed. You may consider purchasing that gift and donating to charity or giving it to a family member or friend.
  • Place a candle somewhere significant to your loved one in your home. Be mindful of your loved one when you light/extinguish it.
  • Create a special holiday stocking/jar/box for your love one – over the holiday season, write positive memories of our loved one and place them in the container. On your chosen holiday, you may wish to read the written memories aloud to family and friends.
  • Create a memory box with some of your loved one’s belongings or things that remind you of them.
  • Care for a plant in honor of your loved one.
  • Create a memory scrapbook of your loved one; you may consider adding photos, concert tickets, scraps of clothing, and written memories from family and friends.
  • Create a memorial ornament or decoration.
  • You may consider setting a place for your loved one at a holiday meal. It is your choice whether to leave that seat empty, light a candle at their place, or invite a family member to friend to join you at your meal.
  • If your loved one had a special recipe or favorite holiday dish, you may consider serving it at your holiday meal.
  • Was your loved one passionate about a particular cause or organization? You may consider donating or volunteering to that cause or organization.
  • Visit or spend time in a place where you feel close to your loved one. You could also spend time watching their favorite holiday movies or listening to their favorite holiday songs.
  • You may designate a specific place in your come to create a small “shrine” of photos, specific holiday decorations, or letters to your love one.
  • Are home videos important to your family? Home videos can spark conversations of positive memories and experiences of your loved one.