Online Memorials

by The Library of Congress

When someone has lost someone close to them, the ensuing days, months, and even years can be an incredibly challenging time. If you lost a loved one or know someone who has, creating a memorial garden will provide a constructive way to work through the grieving process. The memorial garden will then serve as a way to honor the life of the loved one for many years to come.

Your first step in planning a memorial garden should be to find the ideal location for the garden. Make sure that the area is a place where the grieving individual/s will want to visit. In addition, the garden should receive plenty of sunlight and should be close enough to a water source so that you are able to ensure that it thrives even during the dryer months.

Next, consider what types of plants or trees represent the life of the departed. If you are helping a grieving individual plant a memorial garden, consider purchasing a memorial gift tree that includes a personal message in the gift box.

Pine, spruce, or cedar trees are a great option since they maintain their foliage in winter.

Once plants and/or trees have been added to a memorial garden, it is important to add a comfortable bench or other type of seating so that friends and family of the departed can sit and reflect in the garden. Garden benches that have been inscribed with a poem or the departed individual’s name will make a beautiful addition to any memorial garden. Garden stones that have been inscribed with a meaningful poem are also great additions to memorial gardens. To add to the peaceful ambiance of the garden, consider hanging windchimes from a tree.

When choosing objects to add to a memorial garden, pick items that remind you of your loved one. The garden does not have to be created overnight. Take your time in finding statues, stones, or anything else that adds beauty to the garden and that invokes fond memories of the departed.

A memorial garden gives friends and family the chance to demonstrate their love for a departed individual on a regular basis. Most people find that maintaining a garden offers solace and relaxation. When a grieving person is given the opportunity to continue to do something after their loved one has passed on, they are able to more effectively work through the grieving process and to find a greater amount of comfort. 

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by The National Archives UK

Article by Victor Epand

Your children grow up fast and you will feel in time that they some times grow up way too fast. The early weeks and months of a baby’s life are a steady parade of milestones and so much so that it is some times hard to keep up with the exact details as each one comes along.

Especially, for new parents simply caring and feeding for the new baby can absorb all their energy, and leaving no time or creative energy to double back and carefully keep records of the baby’s first words, first tooth, first lock of hair, and many more other important first occasions. The baby memory book is a specially designed album that is like a cross between a record book, a scrapbook, and a photo album that has tables, pockets, and places to make a permanent record of a child’s first early milestones.

More finer baby memory books arrive already well organized and are for the most part are self explanatory so that the time spent decorating them can be largely devoted to expressing your own creativity. As you create the baby memory album, then the book essentially walks you through the steps necessary. You can fill in all the important details and add custom trim that is provided by the book itself or from other scrap booking materials.

Many baby memory books will organize themselves chronologically, while creating a time line of the baby’s achievements and milestones that unfurl as the child grows older. Memory books often extend well into child hood and my reach ages as high as seven or ten years old, and will include such child hood items as report cards, sporting trophies, essays, test results, and many others. Some other memory books are centered around the type of event itself such as physical developments, achievements in speech and communication, special celebrations, and first accomplishments.

The choice of organization is largely up to the individual user’s own tastes and own expectations, because there is no right or wrong answer. A great way to decorate, as mentioned above, is through the use of scrap booking materials. In recent years, the hobby of scrap booking has been enjoyed tremendous with increasing growth. Browsing the aisles of many hobby stores such as Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, and A.C. Moore, then you will often find entire rows of decorative scrap book elements, from specialty paper to decals and appliques to fit almost any taste or decor.

Of course, many baby memory books will come complete with decorative elements, but you may still wish to embellish them with custom decals and accents of your own choosing. Especially, if your memory book extends past the toddler years and into child hood, then you may find yourself wanting extra decorations.

Some, but certainly not all, common memory book topics include the baby shower, first records, physical records, holidays, celebration, and special occasions. As a final thought, you might also want to consider organizing your baby memory book around some part of the event or the child itself you want to celebrate.

On October 15 of every year, at 7 pm your time, light a candle for one hour in memory of our babies who were lost far too soon. Video images from In the Company of Angels, a memorial book. Find out about the book at www.caseyshaypress.com. The song is Still, by Gerrit Hofsink. You can buy it at http . For more about Pregnancy Loss Remembrance Day, founded by Robyn Bear, visit www.october15th.com