How to Make Sure the People You Love Are Never Forgotten

I’m sitting on the floor like I always have, my back resting against the couch. I half expect my grandma to come walking out of her bedroom. She’d snicker at my uncle and tell him to get his butt out of her chair. He’d have some snarky remark, but would move reluctantly as my aunt and I laugh at the both of them. This has been on repeat my entire life, but now it’s completely different. The expectation is still there, but she’s not walking back into the room. She’s not asking for her chair, and I’m left with questions I never knew to ask.

The yearbook I’m thumbing through is filled to the brim with beautiful cursive writing saying things like, “Remember the fun we had? Those poor teachers.” and “Don’t forget all of the trouble we got into this year!” I’m still searching for ways to remember her; I’m still wanting to know her on a deeper level. The idea of knowing every single tiny little thing about her has me feeling like I could somehow lessen this pain.

While I can’t lessen this pain, I can keep her memory alive. Here’s how to make sure the people you love are never forgotten.

1. Create A Legacy Video
My favorite way to keep the memory of those that you love alive is a legacy video. This is a video you can simply record on your phone and it involves a series of questions about their lives, from the moment they are born to present day, and you can ask them just about anything you want. I wan’t fortunate enough to get a legacy video of my grandma, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t document the memories of those who loved her, and I fully intend on doing just that.

2. Build A Digital Timeline
My aunt and I worked together in the days leading up to her memorial to create a slideshow of photos captured throughout Grandma’s life, and it’s almost 20 minutes long. It’s an incredibly beautiful way to share her life with those that knew her, and it’s now live on YouTube with a private link for anyone in our family that wants to watch. This digital timeline can be a slideshow, series of video clips, or it can simply be just that – a timeline.

3. Make Those Family Recipes
There are a variety of recipes that make me think of my grandma. Her mashed potatoes and famous noodle recipe are just a couple of things I eagerly put together for Thanksgiving every year. I make her no-bake cookies at least every couple months. This is a really great and easy way to keep your loved ones living on forever, because it’s something you can easily pass down from generation to generation.

4. Keep Family Traditions
Personally, I didn’t have any traditions or rituals with Grandma Viv, aside from dishes after Thanksgiving dinner, and there is obviously no avoiding that. When I think traditions, I often think of my husband’s family. A sandwich bar every Christmas and seafood every New Years. These are things we will be doing with our children every single year until the end of time, and I’d hope they might have interest in carrying those things on as well.

5. Preserve Their Voice
Did you know that you can take ‘live’ photos on your iPhone and turn them into videos? They are a little rough around the edges, but this allowed me to create a video of my grandma laughing while holding my son. I have several videos of her with my kids, but that one of her laughing takes the cake. How lucky are we to live in this day and age, where we can document anything and everything?

6. Plant Something In Their Honor
I’m not sure what I’ll be planting this spring, but my grandma loved hummingbirds, so I’m hoping to plant something that will attract them each year. Consider doing the same for your loved ones.

7. Wear Or Repurpose Belongings
Just today, I purchased a pendant necklace through a company called Petals and Keepsakes. They will place a very small portion of my grandma’s ashes into a pendant for me. The most exciting part? My aunt and I found the dress suit that she wore on her wedding day! They will add a small portion of the fabric from her dress to the pendant as well. I’m beyond thrilled about this!

8. Celebrate Their Birthday
This September, I will be celebrating her 87th birthday. I fully intend on grabbing her favorite type of cake, stepping outside on my own, and giving her the full scoop on everything she’s missed over the past several months. It may seem silly, but it’s such a simple gesture, and it makes me feel closer to her, so who freaking cares what anyone else thinks.

9. Keep A List Of The Things They Taught You
Grandma taught me so much about confidence and independence. She taught me her favorite recipes so I could make them for my children. She was the first to teach me how to navigate grief. I wish I could’ve been around more often to learn so much more.

It may seem so small, but any and every sense that you can capture of them means so much. Grab all of the photos you can find, print them out if you can. Find videos of their laughter. You could even buy a bottle of their perfume or a pack of their soap. It’s the little things.

See you,
Amy