Ways to Honor and Remember a Loved One

Written by
Kyle Sherman
Published on
August 31, 2021 at 8:00:00 AM PDT August 31, 2021 at 8:00:00 AM PDTst, August 31, 2021 at 8:00:00 AM PDT

When you lose someone you love, you’d give anything to hold their hand just one more time.

A memorial provides the next best thing: something to hold that helps you remember precious moments with a treasured person.


The Act of Positive Mourning

Memorials help you turn the experience of grief into a more positive journey toward healing. Mourners often feel their lost loved one wouldn’t want them to dwell on sad or empty feelings.


A memorial can transform a devastating event into an opportunity to honor someone special. In moments of despair, holding a tangible object like a memorial right in your hands can be a source of peace and energy. Feeling its weight is a universally powerful experience, which is why many religions incorporate hand-held ceremonial objects like amulets, talismans, staffs, discs, cameos, boxes and bowls. While holding a memorial object, a mourner may experience vivid memories or even hear echoes of their person’s voice.


Selecting the Right Memorial

Anything that connects to your person makes for an appropriate memorial. Their own beloved treasures – like art, books, china or furniture – may help you feel intimately tied to them. Or it might be something your person once wore, like a watch, cufflinks or jewelry.


In Victorian times, ornate mourning jewelry is very popular because people subscribe to the motto, “memento mori,” which means, “remember you will die.” The saying isn’t intended to be macabre; it is just the opposite. The meaning gives hope to the living that we will all be memorialized forever.


This is the origin of memorial plaques and stones. In addition to other memorial objects, a memorial stone creates a focal point for honoring and remembering a person long after they’re gone. Thus, the popularity of personalized gravesite headstones.


Public Memorials

Memorials also come in many other forms. The U.S. Presidential Desk, also known as the Resolute Desk, is a ship-wood table made from the remnants of an Arctic exploration vessel. It has a built-in memorial plaque with a quote about gratitude and resolution. When a presidential invitee runs their fingers across the plaque, it is considered a great honor.


Even the bronze stars of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and the celebrity handprints of the Chinese Theater are considered large-scale memorials. They give fans a way to reach out and touch a beloved celebrity even now that they’re gone.


A stone memorial can be a smaller object such as a plaque that sits on your desk, dresser or table. Engraved with a special quote, it reminds you of your person every time you see it. Many enjoy having one on a bedside table, where they can awaken to the treasured words of a loved one every morning and feel a spirit of renewal.


Create Personalized Granite Stone Memorial Plaques at PlaqueMaker

Our custom memorial plaques are perfect for honoring a loved one. Available in a variety of sizes and thicknesses, each plaque is made of solid black granite, personalized with laser engraving or full color printing and includes one free logo, photo or clip art. Several mounting options are available, including sign stands to display in a garden or standoffs to mount on a wall. Once you submit your order, a no obligation quote and free proof is emailed to you within one business day. Typically, your order ships from our warehouse two days after you approve your final design.