Urns Blog

In our last post, we gave information about how to write an obituary, but if you want to take it a step further, there are some ways to honor your loved one’s memory through an obituary while making the obituary itself unique. Here are some ways you can honor your loved one’s memory in an obituary or memorial statement:

1. Include a picture of your loved one. This can be a photo of your loved one near the time of his or her passing or from his or her youth. The key is to pick a photo that best represents who your loved one was and how he or she will be remembered.
2. End the obituary with a quotation that your loved one was fond of.
3. Begin or end the obituary with a quote about loss, serenity, peace, or the passing of a loved one.
4. Be sure to mention groups, institutions, or people who were important to your loved one. Express your gratitude.
5. End the obituary notice with a poem that captures the memory of your loved one or a poem that your loved one was fond of.
6. End the obituary with three to five words that sum up the life of your loved one.
7. Include song lyrics to your loved one’s favorite song or to a song that represents the memory of your loved one.
8. Include a link to a memorial website or guestbook you’ve built in the honor of your loved one’s memory.
9. Include personality characteristics in your obituary. If your loved one had a great sense of humor or amazing compassion, share those kinds of details. These are the things people remember most about the ones they love.
10. Include a request from your loved one or a request that your loved one would appreciate. For example, you could include something like, “In lieu of sending flowers, plant a tree in your own backyard.”

How did you make your loved one’s memorial or obituary special?

Memorial Candles

Writing an obituary is one of the most challenging things to do after a loved one has recently passed. If you’re in charge of writing the obituary for your loved one, consider some of these tips.

Begin first by listing the full name of your loved one, as well as any nicknames that he or she went by. You’ll also want to note the age at death, the city of residence at the time of death, day and date of death, place of death, and cause of death. All of these details can be modified to suit the privacy of the loved one’s family, so don’t worry if you’d rather keep the cause of death or place of death private.

Next, you’ll want to go into a paragraph detailing your loved one’s life. Include information such as the date of birth, place of birth, names of parents, schools attended, siblings, and any important lifetime stories or experiences. You’ll also want to include information regarding marriages, such as the name of the spouse, date of marriage, and place of marriage. Finally, give a picture of your loved one’s life by telling how he or she spent her time. Include information in terms of employment, awards or other recognition, volunteer experience, hobbies, sports, or activities.

In the next paragraph, give a list of the family survived by and preceded in death by. Include spouse, parents, children, grandchildren, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and pets if desired.

Finally, end the obituary with a listing of the service details. Include the day, date, time, and place of the service, the name of the officiant or pallbearers if desired, and visitation information for those who would like to pay their respects. You’ll also want to detail information regarding graveside or memorial services, place of internment or where cremated ashes will be scattered, whether or not your loved one will be cremated, or the name and contact information for the funeral home in charge of the arrangements or cremation. If a memorial fund or scholarship has been established, make note of it in this paragraph.

The key to writing a meaningful obituary is to give the key things to remember about that person’s life so that the memory may live on. After the service, you may choose to put the obituary in a frame or other memorial keepsake, which can be displayed in your home, next to a cremation urn, or in another special place.

During the holiday season, it can be incredibly difficult for one to get through the grieving process that goes along with losing a loved one. If you’ve recently lost someone you love, here are 10 ways for you to cope:

1. Seek out the help of a grief counselor. This is one of the best things you can do if you’re not sure how to cope.
2. Make time to reflect, but do not dwell. Give yourself a little time each day to feel what you need to feel and work through your emotions gradually.
3. Keep busy. A popular saying is, “Get busy, get better.” Keep yourself occupied so that you’re not spending as much time thinking about the loss. Keep moving and don’t let life pass you by.
4. Read, for either your own benefit or for pleasure. There are countless books on grieving that can help you through the process. Or, if you’d rather, you could just make time to read books that make you feel good, such as a treasured favorite or one that always makes you smile.
5. Talk it out with a friend or family member. This can be a wonderful way to remember your loved one while at the same time, giving yourself a method to heal.
6. Seek out a spiritual leader. Talk to your church or another spiritual leader about coping with the loss of a loved one. There are many wonderful resources that they have available.
7. Celebrate your loved one’s life. There are many ways to do this. Some celebrate the life of a loved one by having an urn scattering ceremony. Others have a party or memorial service. It’s up to you – but remember to celebrate the life and love that was shared.
8. Give yourself time and space when needed. Sometimes, you just need time to be alone. Give yourself that time. Let yourself go when you need to.
9. Don’t take on so much. Losing a loved one is a lot on your plate, so don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
10. Find joy in the everyday and make time to laugh.

How do you work through the grief?

The holiday season is upon us and for those who have recently lost a loved one, this can be a very difficult time. However, there are things that one can do to keep the memory of a loved one alive during the holiday season. If you have recently lost someone, consider some of these ways to remember and honor the memory of your loved one during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, Advent, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year seasons:

1. Dedicate a religious service to the memory of one who has passed on. Talk to your religious leader about having your loved one’s name mentioned during the service or added to the program.
2. Lay a wreath at your loved one’s burial site. If your loved one has been cremated, consider decorating the area where the cremation urn is with a poinsettia, evergreen, or another seasonal plant. Same idea goes for scattering sites – lay a wreath where the ashes were spread.
3. Light a candle for your loved one as you celebrate the season. Choose a memorial candle to be lit in your home, or you could light a candle at the burial or scattering site. If you have a cremation urn, light a small votive and place it next to the urn.
4. Leave a chair open at your table as you have your holiday meals.
5. Make a donation to charity in your loved one’s name. During the holiday season, maybe consider donating gifts to a family in need or make a donation to a charity that your loved one supported. Donations in memory are a very thoughtful way to keep your loved one very much alive in the hearts of friends, family, and the community.

How will you remember your loved one during the holidays?

Funerary Urn

Many people choose to have their ashes scattered after they are cremated. Sometimes, this leaves a void in the lives of the loved ones they left behind. Without a funerary urn or a burial site, one might feel that they are “distant” from someone who has passed. However, there are many ways to keep your loved one close to you, even after the scattering ceremony.

1. If have the wedding ring of the person who passed away, keep him or her close to your heart by wearing it on a chain around your neck. You can also wear his or her favorite piece of jewelry every day.
2. Create a memorial in your backyard by planting your loved one’s favorite type of tree or flowers. Place a plaque with his or her  name, dates of birth and death, and a special message in front of the flowers or fasten it to the tree.
3. Make a scrapbook of photos and memories of the times you had together.
4. Start a scholarship in the person’s name.
5. Memories help people cope with loss. Share stories with friends, family, and people who knew and miss them.
6. Instead of scattering all of his or her ashes, keep a small amount with you in cremation jewelry.
7. Create a memory box filled with things that remind you of that person.
8. Light a candle for your loved one at a church or in a special place inside your home.
9. On a holiday or that person’s birthday, buy a gift and donate it to a shelter or a charity.
10. Visit a place that your loved one enjoyed visiting, once a week, every month, or once a year.

There are many ways to remember our loved ones. What are some of the ways you remember your loved ones and how do you honor their memories?

When a loved one passes on, there’s a lot to plan. Between choosing the appropriate creamation urn to making memorial service arrangments, it can be easy to forget about your own well being in the process. Take some time today to remember that you need to take care of you in order to get through this transition. Losing a loved one is never easy. But you’re not alone.

When someone you love has passed on, taking care of yourself is incredibly important. You won’t have to travel this journey alone either. You are surrounded by friends, neighbors, family members, counselors, spiritual leaders, and funeral directors who can give you the support and compassion you need to get through this difficult time. Even we at Urns.com can help you in the process of choosing the right cremation urn for your loved one. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others in order to feel better or get the help you need.

Remember, there’s a time to do it all yourself. But now is not that time. Reach out. Ask for help. Take care of you by letting others help you through this difficult time.

Photo Urn

There’s something special about photographs. Able to capture a point in time where we were enjoying, celebrating, or just living in the moment, photos play an important part in remembrance. At Urns.com, we know the power of photos as well as the power of a memory. To honor a loved one who has recently passed, we recommend combining to two together to make a moving tribute. Photo urns can help you celebrate someone you loved.

Our photo urns are made from beautiful wood and feature a built-in frame where you can put a portrait of your loved one. Include a picture of you and your loved one, your loved one alone, or of a special moment in your loved one’s life. The great thing about photo urns is that they are not only limited to photos. Letters, poems, prayer cards, and other keepsakes can be framed in this urn to create a wonderful remembrance.

Choose from cherry, natural, or black photo urn varieties and use the 4.5″x5.5″ photo frame to remember someone special. Photo urns are a wonderful way to keep the memory alive, well after someone you love has passed.

Sports Urn

It’s common for us to have pastimes. Some of us love to play golf or play cards. Others enjoy fishing, running, baseball, tennis, or another athletic activity. Sports are a wonderful way to enjoy life. They strengthen our bodies, and sometimes, our relationships by giving us something to bond over.

When a loved one passes on, you can continue to honor his or her memory through a sports urn that celebrates his or her favorite pastime. At Urns.com, we carry sports urns relating to many hobbies and activities, including: