Memorializing a Loved One

Losing a loved one can be completely devastating. It is almost like re-learning how to live your life without them. So you just take it one day at a time. However there is that part of your heart that they filled, and now it is empty. No one else can ever fill it, and it will forever be void until you see them again. That doesn't mean we can't heal and find peace in good memories and feel blessed that we had them in our lives. Creating memorials can help us feel closer to them. Many people are afraid of losing that picture in their mind of what they looked like, how their little paws felt, how they smelled, etc. While we can't have them right here with us, we can do a lot to celebrate their life and show them respect for an incredible bond we were lucky enough to share with them.

There are many various gestures of remembrance. I started out with a few of my own ideas and some I’ve heard. If you have more than what I have listed, please email me and let me know! I would love to be able to share them with other people! Ideas come from ideas and we just need get the creativity flowing to help someone along in doing something that feels just perfect to them and that will help them heal their heart, even if just a little bit. Thank you for your help & suggestions!

  1. Pictures, pictures, pictures! Nothing can remind you more of your loved one than a picture of them looking right at you! Take all you can! If you have a puppy, snap away! They grow so fast. I have action shots of them playing ball, sleeping, kissing, and anything else I can think of. When Scooter died, I had pictures of him in every room. It helped me feel closer to him. One picture in particular, he had just finished playing fetch and he had passed out down in the green grass panting like he couldn’t wait to get more.. I remember looking through the lens. When I look at that picture, even 6 yrs. later, it's as though I'm looking through the camera lens all over again just like I did on that very day! Now that is a priceless feeling.
  2. If you have kept hair or baby teeth, you may want to buy a locket. You could use the locket to put the hair, teeth, ashes, or just a picture in. It rests on your heart, and a little piece of them feels closer to you!
  3. Have a professional portrait, sketch, or even a sculpture done of your pet. There are so many on the internet, you just need to a search for one you like. They can work off of a photograph.
  4. Have a tree planted in your pet's honor. You can do this in your own yard, if your pet is buried there. You can also donate to a local park or charity in your pet's honor. If you do it in your own yard, we have stone's specifically for planted memorials.
  5. Plant a memorial garden. Scooter was my everything, but to be descriptive …he seemed fragile, innocent, angelic…To me he represented everything white! So I wanted to plant all white flowers, of various types. I had a fountain in the middle and whenever I looked at it, I just felt closer to him. A wonderful book to buy if you want a little inspiration while planning your garden is "Dogwood & Catnip". I did discontinue selling them, but I still have a few left under our "SPECIALS" section. It includes information on the symbolism of plants, common garden themes, garden accessories, remembrance rituals and the preparation, installation, and maintenance of a garden.
  6. Hold a memorial service if you buried your beloved in your backyard or at a pet cemetery, or just hold a reception with your urn and a picture honoring and remembering your pet. Have some wine and hor d'oeuvres and invite those who knew your pet or just friends and family who love you and know how much you loved your pet. They will want to be there for you! Share stories, reminisce, laugh, and cry!
  7. Create a scrapbook with memories of your pet, creating beautiful collages of photo's and writing fond remembrances of days you shared together!
  8. Write a poem, letter, or write a letter directly to your pet expressing your feelings.
  9. Chronical your pet's life and keep a journal of your feelings and things your remembering about them and don't ever want to forget. An example would be: With Scooter I always made up songs and sang to him while "ruff housing" with him. It was like our little game and fun time. I didn't want to forget those songs. They were special to me. But alas, when you no longer sing them, you no longer remember them. I wrote them down, so I would always know the words. The tune always comes back! The good singing voice was never there.
  10. Place a bench with an engraved nameplate or inscription where your pet is buried or in a memorial garden. You can sit there and just reflect. It just makes a nice commemoration.
  11. Keep your pet's favorite toys, blankets, doggie school certificates & graduation caps, collar, etc. Build or buy a special memory/shadow box to store their things in.
  12. Sponsor a memorial scholarship at a veterinary school in your pet's honor.
  13. Send out announcements to those who are close to you, family, and friends letting them know of your pet's death.
  14. Participate in the Monday Evening Candle Lighting Ceremony. Every Monday night, around the world, we light candles in memory of our beloved animal companions. The lighting of candles provides a healing ritual. Even though each of us lights our candles privately, it is our common love for animals that joins us all in love and spirit.
    In the United States, the candle-lighting time is 10 p.m. eastern time - 9 p.m. central time.
  15. Having their collar and tags and or/ leash bronzed like the baby shoes that are often done for remembrance from childhood, and maybe having it displayed in a shadow box?

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 Pet memorial for our dog angel Scooter
"Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation." - Kabil Gibran