Footrace Against Time

A memorial service is a service given for the deceased without the body present. A memorial is usually held after a burial, donation of the body to an institution, cremation (sometimes the cremains are present), entombment in a mausoleum or crypt, or a burial at sea.  A memorial service is often an important part of a green or direct burial or cremation.  Since the body is not unnaturally preserved, it is often important to bury or cremate the remains more quickly than would be done in a situation where embalming has taken place.  A memorial service, after the fact, allows people who are traveling long distances to be a part of a tribute to the deceased.

 

Sometimes such a service can be held at the funeral home and may include prayers, poems, or songs to remember the deceased. Very often, photographs of the decedent are displayed.

 

Often a memorial service will take the place of a funeral in cases where the decedent has stipulated prior to death that he or she doesn't want to have a funeral or when the family has decided that a funeral wasn't necessary for any number of reasons.

 

Much like a funeral, a memorial service can be personalized to suit the tastes and lifestyle that your loved one cherished in life.  For example, if the deceased enjoyed trips to the ocean, with permission from governing bodies, a memorial could be held ocean-side with a wreath being placed in the tide where they would be carried out to sea. 

 

A memorial service doesn't have to be a formal or expensive event.  As I said earlier, gathering friends and family at home to watch your loved one's favorite video or television program could serve as an opportunity to reminisce about the life of someone special to you.

 

In the case of a green funeral or cremation, a memorial service can take many different forms which can also lead to lasting memorials and tributes to the deceased.

 

1. Very often, cities mark these adopted roadways with a sign or plaque that can bear the name of your loved one.

 

2. Many parks even allow you to plant special plants in your adopted area.

 

 

3. Many beaches, sea-side areas, lakes and pond offer similar programs.

 

4. Plant a tree in honor of your loved one.

 

 

5. Make a charitable contribution to an environmental cause in the name of the deceased.

 

6. Do this in the name of your loved one.

 

 

7. Many services allow you to 'purchase' and name it after someone in your life.

 

8. Join a wildlife preserve or nature center where you can donate your time to cultivating plants and caring for animals which would have been important to your loved one.

 

9. Make it an annual (or more frequent) event if you can.

 

 

These are just a few ideas.  Within your family, talk about ways in which you'd like to memorialize your loved one, remind yourselves about what was important to him or her.  Don't be shy about asking local parks, public areas, nature preserves, schools or even your place of worship about ways that your time, service and love could act as lasting tributes to someone you have lost.

 

 

About the Author:

Hal is the author of several critically acclaimed ebooks specifically written to help people deal with end of life issues. His ebooks include topics such as: cremation, writing and delivering a eulogy, eco-friendly green funerals, funeral planning, organ donation, and buying and selling cemetery plots. To find out more about his CemeterySpot family of free services and resources, to learn more about his books, and to get a free gift, please visit: http://www.cemeteryspot.com.