Sometimes, the best way to deal with death is to avoid mourning the loss of someone, and instead celebrate and appreciate the life that they have lived. Traditional funerals are a great way to come to terms with the passing of someone close, but for those who want to remain optimistic and grateful, there are other events or items that can be incorporated into your funeral service to help you better celebrate the life that a recently deceased loved one had.
Here are some great ways in which close friends and family can celebrate someone’s life.
Listen to Their Music
A particular feature that lives long in the memory of a person is the type of music they listened to and the songs that they sang time and time again. Taking the time to enjoy the music a person enjoyed can be a great way to celebrate their life, as it can make you feel more closely connected to them and you will begin to appreciate the sounds that made them tick.
Playing some of the music that was loved by a recently passed friend or relative is a common feature in a lot of funeral services, which can be provided by Exit Here to help create the most special occasion.
Enjoy Their Preferred Food and Drink
If your loved one always cooked a certain type of meal, or was always caught sipping at the same drink, it can be a fun idea to incorporate these dishes and drinks into the celebration service, to create a feeling that they’re still with you.
Create a Quote Board
Putting together a quote board can be a unique way to create a snapshot of someone’s life and build a touching reminder of how this person affected others around them. To create one, simply ask funeral or celebration event guests to share quotes that they believe represent your loved one. It can be a poem, a line from a book, a film quote, anything. If this person also had a catchphrase or saying that they said frequently, you could also add it to the board in order to create an authentic and representative snapshot.
Release Sky Lanterns
Releasing lanterns can be a truly touching and moving experience, especially if there is a big group of people and a wide array of lanterns. By lighting up the night sky, it creates a beautiful display with which to celebrate your loved one. A nice touch is to also write a little note or message on the lantern before it’s released, almost as if you’re sending post to the heavens.
Do be aware that lanterns pose a significant risk to the environment, so it’s important to only use eco-friendly sky lanterns when you do this; they should be biodegradable and shouldn’t harm any wildlife. It’s best to release these lanterns away from civilization, as the open flames that lift the lanterns can ignite and cause fires.
Create a Memorial Tree
Decorating a tree can be a nice way to celebrate a lost one’s life, especially if they were a keen gardener or had a specific tree that they truly liked. Decorating trees can be a fun and creative outlet, with good ideas including tying ribbons around the branches and the trunk; hanging mason jars off the branches that are half-filled with water so flowers can float in them; and of course, putting a memorial plaque at the base of the tree, to permanently immortalize them.