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While optional, rituals are an important part of life celebrations. Rituals can:
- Be a catalyst for healing and growth
- Reduce anxiety & depression
- Reduce feelings of helplessness
- Allow for demonstration of family & community
support
- Encourage compassion for one's self
- Offer a sense of grounding and
connectedness
- I know of two young grandchildren who had always had "tea" with
grandma. At grandma's funeral - the two little girls set up their small
table & chairs. They set a place for grandma and poured her tea one last
time.
- Candles are long known for their "illumination" in ritual - how they
are used is entirely up to you - again whatever holds meaning.
- Dove and butterfly releases are also a common symbol of a release of
the soul - see resources for companies that arrange these.
- The family of a woman who loved hummingbirds purchased a beautiful
box with a hummingbird on top of it and asked guests at the memorial to
write a brief statement about the woman who had died. These statements were
read during the service. (Memorial boxes)
- My mother had a giving soul. After the gathering at her home, I,
along with several friends, took many of the floral arrangements that had
been sent to the funeral to a local nursing home. We asked the nurse on
staff to give them out to those who needed a gift that day. It is something
my mother would have done and would have approved of.
- I have named a star in memory of someone who has died. You get a
map showing you where the star is located as well as a beautiful poster
showing who the star is named after. See resources for several companies
who do this.
- Memorial gardens are sometimes created in memory of individuals
- Other times, tree seedlings are given out at a memorial service with
a note asking that they be planted in memory.
- Quilters have been known to each contribute a square to a memorial
quilt that is then either donated to a charity or auctioned off and the
proceeds going to a charity.
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