Wholesale Cremation Creations
"Perhaps they
are not stars
in the sky, but
rather
openings
where our
loved ones
shine down to
let us know
they are
happy."
~ Eskimo
Legend
are not stars
in the sky, but
rather
openings
where our
loved ones
shine down to
let us know
they are
happy."
~ Eskimo
Legend
Collecting Stories from Others
Story Circles
Story Circles are about gathering together those who were closest to
your loved one to share some of the memories and experiences they
had with her. Most of them will jump at the chance to share these
memories with others, and in the end, everyone will gain a new depth
of understanding about her and how she touched the lives of others.
Asking for Stories
For those who don't have family and friends nearby, a Story Circle
would be difficult to coordinate. However, that shouldn't keep you from
asking your friends and family about their memories of her. Most of
them would love to tell you of these stories; all you have to do is ask!
Preserving Your Own Memories
Photo Journaling
Was she (or someone else in the family) a big photographer?
Pictures tell stories, and recalling the stories behind your favorites will
really round out your memories. Read more >>
Writing your Stories
Was she more of a writer? Or perhaps the easiest way to collect and
preserve your memories of her would be through your own writing?
Memory Books in Print
Sometimes the hardest part is knowing where to start. There are a
number of books that have been published to help you record your
memories.
Memorabilia and Treasures
to remind you of your loved one
Throughout our lives, we collect many things - some bring us joy,
some are gifts that remind us of the love of someone close, and some
remind us of the joyful experiences we've had in the past. There will
undoubtedly be many things that your loved one has collected
throughout the years that have been very important to her. Here are
a few ways you can preserve the memories behind these items for
those around you.
-Take photographs of those items that had special meanings for your
loved one. Put the pictures on paper and write out the stories of why
those things were special, how they were acquired, what they meant
to her, etc. If you have a digital camera or a scanner, you could use a
word processing program to layout the photographs and then type up
the stories.
-Create a "special spot" to put items that were special to her or things
that remind you of her - favorite photographs, journals, her
collectibles, etc. Be careful when doing this and talk about it with the
other members of your family. It may be difficult for some of them to
have this around, and they may not be quite ready for it.
-Put together a Memory Box with items that remind you of some of the
special stories and memories you have of her. You can find an
example of a memory box a mother did for her son here, or read "The
Mother Box," the last story in Chicken Soup for the Grieving Soul.
-Create a Memory Quilt using t-shirts, fabrics, photographs, or other
items that were special to your loved one.
-Read Remembrance of Things Past - an interesting article about why
we cherish "things." Written from an LDS perspective, some of the
language may be different from what the general reader is used to,
but the central message is this: "We can’t keep everything, to be
sure, but some physical objects help us connect with previous
generations. That we cherish them shows that we care."
Creating an Online Memorial
Would you like to share your memories of your loved one with others
scattered around the world? Do you want to have a place to go to
remember her, no matter where you are? Many, many online
memorial sites have sprung up over the last couple years, and you
have many options to choose from.
Most memorial sites allow you to post photos, a story or two, and a
guest book for others to leave their online condolences. Free sites
usually limit either the amount you can store online or the amount of
time it will stay there, but they are a valuable start.
Free Memorial Sites
Memory Of (for two weeks)
GriefNet.org - In Loving Memory
Memoriam.org
Rest in Peace
Fee-based Memorial Sites
Memory Of (after two weeks)
Precious Memories and More
Beyond Loving
Light a Candle
Virtual Memorials
Preserve your online condolences & messages, add memories &
photographs, and create a printed book
Create a permanent legacy from your loved one's online tribute by
transferring the stories and messages you receive in your online
memorial into a memorial tribute book using the iMemoryBook
program.
Having these memories online is nice, but being able to have them in
book form, in a tangible form, for those times when you just don't want
to sit in front of a computer screen, is a priceless gift you can give
yourself.
Paying Tribute during Special Occasions for remembering during
difficult times of the year
There are certain times of the year when you will miss your loved one
most terribly - an anniversary, a birthday, Christmastime, and other
times when those special memories come back. Though most of this
site is geared towards preserving memories in a tangible form, during
these times, actively remembering and paying tribute to our loved
ones can be even more valuable than recording memories on paper.
What were her favorite:
Things to do?
Places to eat?
Movies?
Foods?
Can you incorporate those into that special day? Would visiting the
cemetery be appropriate? Think about her life and the kinds of things
she enjoyed. Doing those things will help you remember and pay
tribute to her.
Preserving Your Memories
When you are ready to record your memories, you can use whatever
supplies you have on hand and go from there - whatever it takes to
get you started will work. At the same time, you might want to know
that what kind of supplies you use and how you store them will
determine how well they will hold up through the years.
Below are links to sites that give you ideas on storing your items so
that they will last a long time. It's a long list, though, so if you're
looking for a few quick answers, you can find great information in
these links:
To purchase the archival-quality materials to help you get started,
visit a local scrapbooking store and talk to a manager there to help
you determine what would be best. Look for "acid-free" and "lignin-
free" or "archival safe" materials. Or you can go to Light Impressions
or Gaylord to get archival supplies directly on the Internet.
Canadian Conservation Institute - Their "How to Care For" series
goes over preserving many different things found around the house,
from paper to musical instruments to candlesticks, and more.
National Archives and Records Administration - "Caring for your
Family Archives" includes questions on storing, digitizing, and
displaying photographs, repairing documents, preserving home
movies, and more.
When the Dust Settles: Tips for Safely Cleaning Family Treasures -
This article from FEMA lists many different items that could be
considered family treasures and details how to clean them. It also
includes a list of the best supplies to use when cleaning.
Whatever you do, don't let this information, or the idea that you have
to do this "perfectly," keep you from recording what is in your heart. If
you can use archival-safe materials, do so - if you can't, then don't
worry about it.
Story Circles
Story Circles are about gathering together those who were closest to
your loved one to share some of the memories and experiences they
had with her. Most of them will jump at the chance to share these
memories with others, and in the end, everyone will gain a new depth
of understanding about her and how she touched the lives of others.
Asking for Stories
For those who don't have family and friends nearby, a Story Circle
would be difficult to coordinate. However, that shouldn't keep you from
asking your friends and family about their memories of her. Most of
them would love to tell you of these stories; all you have to do is ask!
Preserving Your Own Memories
Photo Journaling
Was she (or someone else in the family) a big photographer?
Pictures tell stories, and recalling the stories behind your favorites will
really round out your memories. Read more >>
Writing your Stories
Was she more of a writer? Or perhaps the easiest way to collect and
preserve your memories of her would be through your own writing?
Memory Books in Print
Sometimes the hardest part is knowing where to start. There are a
number of books that have been published to help you record your
memories.
Memorabilia and Treasures
to remind you of your loved one
Throughout our lives, we collect many things - some bring us joy,
some are gifts that remind us of the love of someone close, and some
remind us of the joyful experiences we've had in the past. There will
undoubtedly be many things that your loved one has collected
throughout the years that have been very important to her. Here are
a few ways you can preserve the memories behind these items for
those around you.
-Take photographs of those items that had special meanings for your
loved one. Put the pictures on paper and write out the stories of why
those things were special, how they were acquired, what they meant
to her, etc. If you have a digital camera or a scanner, you could use a
word processing program to layout the photographs and then type up
the stories.
-Create a "special spot" to put items that were special to her or things
that remind you of her - favorite photographs, journals, her
collectibles, etc. Be careful when doing this and talk about it with the
other members of your family. It may be difficult for some of them to
have this around, and they may not be quite ready for it.
-Put together a Memory Box with items that remind you of some of the
special stories and memories you have of her. You can find an
example of a memory box a mother did for her son here, or read "The
Mother Box," the last story in Chicken Soup for the Grieving Soul.
-Create a Memory Quilt using t-shirts, fabrics, photographs, or other
items that were special to your loved one.
-Read Remembrance of Things Past - an interesting article about why
we cherish "things." Written from an LDS perspective, some of the
language may be different from what the general reader is used to,
but the central message is this: "We can’t keep everything, to be
sure, but some physical objects help us connect with previous
generations. That we cherish them shows that we care."
Creating an Online Memorial
Would you like to share your memories of your loved one with others
scattered around the world? Do you want to have a place to go to
remember her, no matter where you are? Many, many online
memorial sites have sprung up over the last couple years, and you
have many options to choose from.
Most memorial sites allow you to post photos, a story or two, and a
guest book for others to leave their online condolences. Free sites
usually limit either the amount you can store online or the amount of
time it will stay there, but they are a valuable start.
Free Memorial Sites
Memory Of (for two weeks)
GriefNet.org - In Loving Memory
Memoriam.org
Rest in Peace
Fee-based Memorial Sites
Memory Of (after two weeks)
Precious Memories and More
Beyond Loving
Light a Candle
Virtual Memorials
Preserve your online condolences & messages, add memories &
photographs, and create a printed book
Create a permanent legacy from your loved one's online tribute by
transferring the stories and messages you receive in your online
memorial into a memorial tribute book using the iMemoryBook
program.
Having these memories online is nice, but being able to have them in
book form, in a tangible form, for those times when you just don't want
to sit in front of a computer screen, is a priceless gift you can give
yourself.
Paying Tribute during Special Occasions for remembering during
difficult times of the year
There are certain times of the year when you will miss your loved one
most terribly - an anniversary, a birthday, Christmastime, and other
times when those special memories come back. Though most of this
site is geared towards preserving memories in a tangible form, during
these times, actively remembering and paying tribute to our loved
ones can be even more valuable than recording memories on paper.
What were her favorite:
Things to do?
Places to eat?
Movies?
Foods?
Can you incorporate those into that special day? Would visiting the
cemetery be appropriate? Think about her life and the kinds of things
she enjoyed. Doing those things will help you remember and pay
tribute to her.
Preserving Your Memories
When you are ready to record your memories, you can use whatever
supplies you have on hand and go from there - whatever it takes to
get you started will work. At the same time, you might want to know
that what kind of supplies you use and how you store them will
determine how well they will hold up through the years.
Below are links to sites that give you ideas on storing your items so
that they will last a long time. It's a long list, though, so if you're
looking for a few quick answers, you can find great information in
these links:
To purchase the archival-quality materials to help you get started,
visit a local scrapbooking store and talk to a manager there to help
you determine what would be best. Look for "acid-free" and "lignin-
free" or "archival safe" materials. Or you can go to Light Impressions
or Gaylord to get archival supplies directly on the Internet.
Canadian Conservation Institute - Their "How to Care For" series
goes over preserving many different things found around the house,
from paper to musical instruments to candlesticks, and more.
National Archives and Records Administration - "Caring for your
Family Archives" includes questions on storing, digitizing, and
displaying photographs, repairing documents, preserving home
movies, and more.
When the Dust Settles: Tips for Safely Cleaning Family Treasures -
This article from FEMA lists many different items that could be
considered family treasures and details how to clean them. It also
includes a list of the best supplies to use when cleaning.
Whatever you do, don't let this information, or the idea that you have
to do this "perfectly," keep you from recording what is in your heart. If
you can use archival-safe materials, do so - if you can't, then don't
worry about it.
Information
on this page
was obtained
from:
Memories-are-
forever.org
on this page
was obtained
from:
Memories-are-
forever.org