Thursday, September 1, 2011

A Simple Inexpensive Way to Remember A Loved One that Benefits Others!

There are many things one can do to remember a loved one we have lost.  It is not always within a manageable amount of money to do something we may want to do such as set up a scholarship fund or something else that costs a lot.

A former client of mine was on a fixed income due to having multiple sclerosis. She was devastated by the loss of her mother.  When she found out that we had both lost our mothers, she suggested something that one could do at any time.  It's simple and doesn't cost a lot of money.

Donate a book to the library. This is not where you buy a book, but you donate a small amount of money such as $15.00 or more for the library to purchase a book.  You can suggest the topics or type of book and they will purchase the book and put a sticker in the inside cover which states that the "book was donated in memory of  _____(fill in loved one's name here)____________" . 

You can suggest or stipulate the topic. This could honor something that your loved one like to do- crafts, bird-watching, some type of sport, gardening, etc..  It could also be something that you liked to do with that person. It could deal with a health problem the loved one dealt with. Perhaps it could be a topic that addresses a problem a person dealt with such as alcoholism, depression, being a single parent. The choice of topics personalizes it for you and your loved one.  The topic continues the person's spirit by sharing the love of something your loved one did or enjoyed with others. It could be helping people deal with something that the deceased had struggled with and carries a positive legacy in that way. It could be a way of sharing the memory of things that you did with your loved one which was special.

It helps you, who is grieving, to move and grow in your grief and share something special or set something right with the world that you felt needed to be done. It doesn't cost much and benefits users of that book and community for a long time to come.  In that regard, it multiplies and expands the legacy of your loved one in a quiet way but steadfast way.

I hope that this thought is helpful to you and shows you that you are not powerless in your grief.   There are simple things that you can do to help yourself, help create and share the legacy of your loved one and help the world/other people in some way!

I hope that you find peace in your day.

No comments:

Post a Comment