The loss of a grandparent is felt keenly through the entire family and there are many events in the following months which will remind you of them.
For you, losing your mum or dad is profound, often devastating, and a sharp reminder of your own mortality. For your children, losing a grandparent may be their first experience of death. One year on it can still have a significant impact on your life.
As the first anniversary of their death approaches, marking the day in some way can help you and your children through the ongoing grief process. Rather than feeling sad, it can be a chance to remember them with love and celebrate all the good times. It can also be a good way of helping children with grief if they haven’t fully come to terms with it.
How you choose to remember a grandparent is a personal choice and will be dependent on many things – your beliefs, children’s ages, activities they enjoyed, and what you see as a suitable tribute, to name but a few.
While it may be a painful date, it can also be a poignant one filled with happy memories. In this article, we discuss six ways to mark a one-year death anniversary.
1. Create A Memorial
Visiting their grave can provide a sense of peace and remembrance as well as helping children with grief. You could also create a memorial for their ashes, light candles, release balloons, put up a special picture, or plant a tree in their memory.
2. Visit A Special Place
If your children and their grandparent had a special place they went to together, you could return there on the anniversary. It could be a park, an ice cream shop, a restaurant, or a beach – anywhere that makes you feel close to them. It’s a wonderful way to remember the happy memories you all shared together.
3. Write A Letter
Writing a letter to a lost loved one can be a therapeutic way to express feelings and understand them. Once the initial grief has subsided, a letter or poem to a grandparent on the one-year anniversary can make you or your children feel like you’re communicating directly with them.
4. Start A New Tradition
You don’t have to stick to things you used to do together, you could try something new as a family. A fresh tradition, which is based upon something they used to love or symbolises their spirit is a great way to honour their memory.
5. Reminisce Together
Marking their one-year of passing doesn’t have to be done with great fanfare. It can be as simple as gathering together and reminiscing over the happy memories you all share. This can help keep a grandparent’s memory alive and provide a sense of ongoing connection.
6. Try Counselling
Grief in children can sometimes manifest many months after the loss. If one year on you and your family are still struggling to come to terms with their death, professional counselling can help. Family therapy sessions are an inclusive way for you to work through the grieving process and support each other at the same time.
Remembered Forever
Cherish the legacy of your beloved grandparent with Remembered Forever’s photo frame Urns. Each urn securely holds their ashes and your chosen photo, serving as a loving tribute. For more information and support, get in touch with our team today.
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