Honoring Loved Ones: Keeping Their Memory Alive

I always try to recognize days that my community celebrates and that would get people together for a good cause or a special moment. We all know that Halloween is here, but we cannot forget about Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos.

Dia de los Muertos is a day to celebrate your ancestors that have passed away by creating an alter or ofrenda in their honor, usually at your home. We decided to create an alter at work for community members to come and set up photos of their loved ones that have passed. We even purchased picture frames so others could decorate and add them to the alter.

Personal reflections and remember my grandmother

I was fortunate enough to add a picture of my grandmother who has passed away over 5 years ago. Adding this picture to the alter made old emotions come back, emotions that I feel I might have suppressed over the years.

It made me think of how I was able to honor my grandmother once again because of the event that I was creating at work. Giving the community a place to honor their loved ones gave me an outlet to honor my amazing grandmother as well as share photos with the rest of my family.

I continued to think about how many people are not able to have these types of events in their life to honor such beautiful people who have passed on. Especially during this time when the holidays are near, and we start to think about our loved ones who can no longer be with us physically.

At least for myself, I always remember how much I miss my grandmother when I no longer taste her cooking around both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I wanted to share with you all a few ways that you can honor or recognize someone close to you that have passed.

Creative ways to honor loved ones

Every year on the anniversary of my grandmothers passing, my family and I get together and honor her. Each year we have done something different for her like eat her favorite food, let a balloon go with a love note in it, or purchase butterflies that we all let go at once.

We also make sure to tell and re-tell each year all our favorite stories and memories we share of her. A few years ago, I also got a matching tattoo with my mother to honor my grandmother. I know many of these things can sound complex, so there are more simple ways of remembering someone.

A few simple things you can do is make their favorite meal for dinner or watch their favorite movie as a family. You can create a small area in your home and put up their picture with small things that remind you of them as well. Even donating to a charity they loved or a charity that helps individuals with the same or similar illness they may have passed from.

I want to remind you all that your loved ones are always with you. It really is nice once in awhile to do small things to keep their memory and presence alive.