HOW DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR LOVED ONES AT CHRISTMAS?
Let me help you with some wonderful ideas for the festive period
Christmas for many is a happy and joyful occasion filled with laughter and fun. For some of you however , myself included, it can be a time that seems to rocket our grieving to an entirely different level. It is perhaps at this time of year when we look back at Christmas past and those memories creep in and make us cry. Our loved ones in heaven don’t like this and urge us to celebrate the good memories we shared with them in life and what better way to do this then to actually include them in our Christmas festivities. After all they are still with us , just not as you knew it .
Memorial Balloon
I love this idea and have to admit I am rather partial to balloon sending to heaven on special angelversaries.
You can put a special message on it to a loved one and make a special occasion out of it perhaps with mince pies and hot chocolate. You could even get them specially printed , eBay are fabulous for this kind of thing.
Memorial Bauble
I have some baubles that I found in our local garden centre a while ago. They acknowledge a loved one in heaven and I think they are a fabulous way to include someone special when we put up the decorations. I have seen though empty plastic baubles for sale that you fill yourself in Hobby shops etc. You could involve the younger family members in making them and fill them with feathers, even go on a feather hunt one day to see how many you can find from the Angels . Place a photo inside and buy the little sticky letters to make a lovely verse on the front. Making memories do not have to cost the earth . There also plenty of shops online and even local people on FB that would make this for you if you wanted. I have mine hanging right at the front of my tree every year.
Light A festive Candle /Advent Candle
Every year we always light an advent candle for our mum’s. Both myself and Kev have our mum’s in heaven , they died within a year of each other and it has just become a tradition that we share each year. We have a special double candle holder and every day we light it in their memory. Just brings a special little flutter to my heart at the start of the festive period. You can also get candles themselves printed and special candle holders like the one in the photo. This one is actually for the cemetery and I thought that was just a fabulous idea especially weigh the added robins.
Plant A Christmas Tree
I love the thought of this and in our old house we did this each year. Actually drove by the other day and they have grown so much . Made me wish I had remembered to dig them up and bring them with me when I moved ! Wonder if I can go back one night ha ha …….perhaps not. Lots of supermarkets and garden centres have so many types of pot planted Christmas trees to choose from and you could even keep inside during the festive period and perhaps decorate it for a special loved one in heaven ~ dedicate to them if you like and if there are children involved why not let them help make special trimmings for it . You could call it grandmas tree or daddy’s tree etc and then after the festive period it can be planted outside to keep as a special reminder every year and you could then decorate it outside. It doesn’t have to be a Christmas fir tree , you could even plant a standard tree and decorate that outside as it grows.
Set A Place For Them
This is a hard one and not sure I am capable of this even after so many years of the ‘grief journey ‘ . For me personally it would be too painful to look at during my dinner but I have included it as in my readings it comes through so many times and I know people who do it every year for their loved ones in heaven. It is simple to do and usually at the head of the table. You set a place for the loved ones in heaven and you could even write them a note for their special place card.
I love this idea of having an ornament with a chair and a candle on it for someone special . You can also personalise this and have it as their place setting if you don’t want it to be too painful to look at. Maybe even place a photo of them on the seat or a little teddy bear .
Send A Flying Wish
A lot of you reading this may never have heard of this , I was introduced to it a few years ago by a friend and I love them ! You can buy the kits on Amazon and eBay and they are called flying wishes. There is a special piece of paper that you can write a note on, I do it to someone in heaven. You then pop it in a special envelope provided and then follow the instructions. You light it and the entire thing floats into the air and then disappears to heaven. It is pure magic to see and watch and left me with an incredible feeling of love and that feeling that you did something special. If you’re anything like me sometimes you may feel you don’t do enough for your loved ones. This really ticked a box for me. You can get so many designs and they are quite cheap as the pack contains a few to use. Certainly something to get kids involved with or just yourself !
These are just a few idea to get you started and I have enclosed below some links for some of the ideas I have featured to help you decide. But do check out local people and do your homework ~ this shouldn’t cost the earth
https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/bubblegumballoons/product/personalised-in-loving-memory-white-feather-bauble?istCompanyId=aa76f5e6-d733-4e56-8409-574cea196cc9&istItemId=xmxmtxqimx&istBid=t&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvZjn26ms1wIV18myCh2Q4g0DEAQYAiABEgK31vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CI718OKprNcCFQyh7QodFr8AHg
https://www.gifts24-7.co.uk/products/personalised-in-loving-memory-rustic-wooden-angel-decoration?variant=34586466692&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvZjn26ms1wIV18myCh2Q4g0DEAQYDSABEgIy1_D_BwE
http://www.prezzybox.com/personalised-angel-ornament.aspx?glcountry=GB&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvZjn26ms1wIV18myCh2Q4g0DEAQYDyABEgL_3vD_BwE
https://www.maggiesgiftshop.co.uk/products/personalised-acrylic-angel-decoration?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&variant=37775121601
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SADLY-MISSED-FESTIVE-CHRISTMAS-TREE-GRAVE-MEMORIAL-ORNAMENT-CEMETERY-TRIBUTE-/172954120747?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275
