Matters of Life and Death
Depending on your needs, many of the urns for sale at Urn Garden are available in a small size for keepsake portions of ash, or could be used for a pet urn. You can create the perfect memorial for your loved one and stay within your budget. Feel free to contact us for personal service.
You’ve come to the right place to create a beautiful memorial!
Urn Garden specializes in affordable cremation urns, jewelry and memorial stones. Whether you’re planning a small space in the garden, or need keepsakes for the funeral, our years of experience and world class customer service allows for a smooth, secure experience.
Part of our holiday ritual is the Christmas Eve open house at the in-laws. Friends and family gather and over the years people come and go. One of the regular guests was widowed in September and was working through her first Christmas without her husband. She’s back to work and some days are better than others. Her son escorted her to the party and although his mother came every year, it was his first appearance and he navigated the waters of a house full of semi strangers.
When the widow married her husband 13 years ago, she moved into the home that he bought new back in the ’70s. Style wise, nothing has changed since he bought the place, except for replacing the dishwasher. The carpet? 40 years old. Paint? Never. He was a heavy smoker. It was his stuff, his place.
She’s decided it’s time for an update. She hasn’t touched a thing since he died. His toothbrush is in the bathroom. His clothes are hanging in the closet. She’s ready to start culling his collection and freshen things up. She knows it will take time to go through the house, room by room and she didn’t seem too overwhelmed at the prospect. She plans to start with the rugs, start from the ground up. Seems logical.
We talked about traditions and routines. He always surprised her with a nice piece of jewelry for at Christmas and she loved his choices. She said she’d miss that. What about a ring or bracelet with his birthstone as a memorial to her husband? She loved the idea. Maybe next year. We’re just trying to get through today.
Ink has become so mainstream that now it seems that if you don’t have a tat, you’re in the minority. One trend we’ve seen is the memorial tattoo. So many personal styles, we like to collect them as an art form.
A couple of local examples:
My nephew got one to honor the grandmother who payed for piano and guitar lessons. The music has stayed with him his entire life and he wanted to honor her legacy.
My tree trimmer who got a tree of life inked to remember his brother who was also a tree trimmer, they worked together as a team for many years. His brother has been gone a long time, this tattoo was done shortly after his passing and needs to be touched up according to the owner.
And full-on canvas covering back piece to as a Vietnam war memorial:
In Ohio, Travis Green wears a vial of his father’s ashes. Literally! In addition to the container that Travis wears around his neck, Travis got a memorial tattoo with his father’s ashes in the ink. Father and son had discussed this before his father’s death.
Whatever you decide on, remember this: It’s a commitment.
Cremation jewelry is not for everyone. It’s such a personal choice that you either love the idea, or….not so much. Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of wearing their loved ones ashes, even a trace amount, around their neck. Keeping it close to the heart? Not going to happen. The idea of splitting up the ashes, sharing them, scattering them is unthinkable and in a way, a desecration the body. The Catholic church thinks so, even though cremation is allowed.
Then there are families who cherish the idea of remembrance jewelry and keepsake urns will order several pieces for family members. While planning a memorial service, one East Coast family invited not only family, but many of the daughters’ friends to order jewelry urn pendants if they wanted some of her ashes.
Cremation Pendants have to be worn with care and certain skin types may not agree with the metals. It’s NOT a good idea to wear your urn necklace to the gym, like one lady did, and then was upset because she lost it.
With so many choices of urn pendants available, if the family likes the idea of creating a memorial with jewelry then why not? The pendant styles are attractive and discreet, so if you don’t want anyone to know, you’re good to go.
We’re still in love with the dogwood urn pendant, so pretty and perfect for this time of year.