Honoring Our Loved Ones . . . Creatively

For the people with an artistic edge, finishing a project that a deceased loved one started can make for a nice sentimental connection. For those that don’t have the opportunity to do this, you could paint rocks in their honor and leaving them in a special place you shared. With cremation ashes, mixing some of them with paint or clay to become a part of art has become popular as well.

Since not everyone has that creative desire but still may seek a sentimental item, people often get a small portion of ashes put into a piece of jewelry and/or have the necklace, ring, or whatever it may be, engraved in the person’s handwriting. It’s also common to get a tattoo in remembrance of a lost loved one, and a handful of places even provide a process to include a small amount of ashes into the tattoo ink.

Physical alternatives to jewelry or ‘ink’ can be having ashes put into a stuffed animal, or having their clothes made into a pillow, blanket, or teddy bear. Music lovers may consider having ashes pressed into playable vinyl records.

A traditional ground burial is often chosen to serve as a place to visit, but adopting a park, bench, landmark, or part of highway can also allow as a special spot in loving memory of someone. For those that get cremated, there are now biodegradable urns incorporated with a seed inside, which grows into a tree acting as a living tribute that continues to grow.

For an exciting cremation ashes ceremony, there are companies that offer putting them into fireworks or a cannon, revealing them from a plane, or you can always hold a ceremony releasing them into the waves of the ocean. Whatever most resonates with the person being honored, the special connection is inevitable.