Losing a loved one is never easy, but there are ways you can still incorporate them into your life. Honoring a lost loved one is a beautiful gesture, and there are lots of ways to do so. If you visit the grave of someone that you loved all the time, you’ve probably started decorating it. To give you some more ideas for your next visit, we’ve put together a list of ways to honor loved ones at the cemetery.
Have a Picnic at the Cemetery
Lots of cemeteries are well-kept with beautiful fields, lakes, forests, and trails. In other words, they’re the perfect setting for a delicious picnic. Make sure that you take some family members with you to enjoy the afternoon.
You can set the picnic up in front of your loved one’s grave. That way, they can join you in spirit while you enjoy your relaxing picnic. It can be very healing, and it can make you feel as if your lost loved one is there with you.
Honor Their Military Service
Did your loved one serve in the military? If so, you have a great opportunity to honor their service. Flags, pictures, plaques, and flowers are all great ways to pay your respects. Their decorated grave will show that they were a proud and dedicated solider who served our country.
Take Family Photos
Taking photos is another way to honor the lost. If you have some new family members that were born after your loved one died, now you can take a photo with them. A full family photo at the gravesite is a beautiful gesture toward your lost loved ones. It will also help the younger members of the family remember and appreciate their relative who has passed.
Compare your old photos with your late loved ones to the new photos you took during the picnic. The younger family members will love seeing what their ancestor looked like before they passed away. You may also decide to decorate their grave with that image by purchasing a personalized ceramic headstone photograph that immortalizes their appearance for generations to come.
Clean the Grave
Graves get dirty like anything else. Time will bring moss, mold, lichen, dirt, and more. To pay respect to your loved one, cleaning the gravestone is a great idea. It will also communicate to the rest of the cemetery that you care about your lost love. With a little work, you can make even the dirtiest and overrun gravestone look brand-new again. It will also help you keep the memory of them alive.
These are what we feel are some great ways to honor loved ones at the cemetery. It’s never too late to honor someone, even after they’re gone. The grieving process is also never really over. Visiting and honoring gravesites is a great way to heal and cope with grief.