Ideas to Acknowledge the First Anniversary of the Passing of a Loved One

The first anniversary of the passing of a loved one can be extremely challenging; emotions are often still raw and painful. Grief can be unexpectedly intense.

‍Acknowledging painful and challenging days in a healthy and authentic way can make things more bearable. Give yourself permission and space for facing difficult emotions.

Think about planning a way to remember your loved one – either formally or informally. You are going to be thinking about them anyway, and you can honour the one who is dear to you-it can be something simple like a special picture, or it could be a celebration or remembrance of life with family and friends to share memories, tell stories. eat your loved one’s favourite food, light candles or release balloons in their memory.

Here are some ideas on how to remember them:

• Plant a flower or tree and put a nameplate nearby.
• Place a memorial stone or bench in a garden or park.
• Do something for others in memory of your loved one. Donate to a charity or a social cause they believed in.
• Take flowers to the gravesite, a memorial site, or another place where you go to remember your loved one.
• Look at old photos and home videos. Do this alone and have a good cry or reminisce over photo albums with family and friends.
• Light a candle in honour of your loved one.
• Visit or spend time in a place where you feel close to your loved one.
• Write your memories onto slips of paper and insert into a bottle. The next year, open the bottle (or break it) and pull out the memories to read.
• Create a new ritual to celebrate the life of your loved one. Choose a ritual that can be repeated in the years to come.
• Finish a project your loved one was working on.
• Read old notes, letters, or e-mails from your loved one.
• Write your memories onto slips of paper and insert into a bottle. The next year, open the bottle (or break it) and pull out the memories to read.
• Create a new ritual to celebrate the life of your loved one. Choose a ritual that can be repeated in the years to come.
• Listen to their favourite music
• Most important of all, remember to be kind to yourself during this time. It can be really challenging and create a maelstrom of emotions.

Remember, you hurt much because you loved much.

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