Whether it’s a friend or a family member, a person’s death is always a sad event. Even after someone has passed, it doesn’t mean that your feelings stop. In fact, it might even be stronger after their death. If you need ideas on how to process your emotions, here are three productive ways to show you care:
1. Visit Their Resting Place
Head to the cemetery and put fresh flowers on their memorial headstones. You can also pay tribute by ensuring their gravestones are properly maintained. Use the right materials to get rid of mold and algae and avoid damaging the stone.
Gravestones are more than just a burial marker, after all. They are the best way to ensure a person is remembered by future generations. Memories fade, and stories are forgotten, but a headstone is a tangible representation of a person.
For mourners, a visit to the burial grounds can be therapeutic. You can even try to talk to your loved one during your visit. Experts have said that talking out loud can help with the grieving process.
2. Put Their Things to Good Use
Unless they left a will, it’s hard to decide what to do with one’s possessions after they passed. You can’t just leave their things be. It would be a waste of space, and lack of use could ruin an object’s condition.
One good idea is to donate their clothes and other possessions. You would be helping the less fortunate, and it’s a nice way to honor your loved one. It’s easy to imagine they would be proud to know that their things make other people happy.
Another option is to hold a garage sale. It’s a good option to pay for funeral costs. You can also use the money to donate to charity. If your friend or your relative is passionate about a cause, you can still give back after their death.
But it doesn’t mean you have to give away everything. Make sure to keep ones with sentimental value. Frame their favorite pictures. Hold on to the ones that can be recycled.
3. Keep Social Ties
Though you lost a loved one, make sure to maintain your relationships with other people in your life. Try to message your friends or relatives once in a while and arrange a get-together. Having someone to talk to can help the mourning process; it makes people feel they are understood and supported. During a time of grieving, you must not feel isolated.
If you have traditions like going to a brunch with your sisters every Sunday or hanging out with friends for movie nights weekly, continue them. As your group gathers, you can share stories of your departed loved one. You can discuss ways to honor their memory and how each of you are processing your emotions.
When it comes to grief, there’s no one right way to process it. Some have found solace in charity work. Others have used pampering products to deal with their feelings. Take your time and do what feels right. Think of what your departed loved one would want for you.
