Life in the Garden

Matters of Life and Death

memorial ideas

Classic Style Urn Selection

When the family can’t agree on a urn style for the deceased, sometimes the simplest choice is the Classic Bronze cremation urn. Ancient design and clean lines of this funeral urn never goes out of style. These metal urns are available in three sizes, a full-size adult, a smaller sharing, youth or pet urn, and a 3″ keepsake size. What’s a keepsake urn, and why would you one? Some families might be sprinkling or want to keep a small amount or the ashes, a lock of hair or dried flowers.

Classic Bronze Urn

The Classic urn is brass with a brushed bronze or pewter finish and secure threaded lid. The adult size measures 10″ high, and weighs a solid 7 pounds.

Urn Garden Cremation Urns

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Ghost Bike Memorials

ghost bike

Supposedly, this is the first Ghost Bike, memorializing an accident on Holly Hills Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003. It was created by Patrick Van Der Tuin who saw a cyclist hit by a car. A few days later, he and his friends locked up several bikes at locations where he knew cars had collided with cyclists.

A Ghostbike is a junker bike that has been painted stark white and affixed to the site where a cyclist has been hit or killed by a car driver. Ghostbikes are intended to be memorials for the fallen and reminders to everyone to SHARE THE ROAD with one another. Since that first memorial in St. Louis, the meme has spread nationwide.

ghost bike

I’ve never seen one here in the Ozarks, and I hope I never do. But in densely populated areas like St. Louis, Portland, and New York City there seems to be more Ghost Bike sightings.

Check out this wild ride!

Today’s Tip: Ride Safe and Share the Road!

 

Mosaic of Our Lives

After the death of my mother-in-law I started experimenting with making garden stones. They are fun and easy and a great garden expression or gift.

Early experiments yielded thin stones that cracked later. But after we got the hang of it, we produced some masterpieces! I was able to collect a lot of Peggy’s costume jewelry and set pieces into the concrete for some stunning stepping stones for family members.

Small bags of Qwik-Crete cement, a plastic lined pizza box or deli trays to use for forms, and a stash of shells, glass beads or other embellishments and you’ve got a garden keepsake! Recipe and simple instructions here.

Cherish the Memory

Yesterday, we covered various ash scattering techniques. As the cremation rate climbs, people are looking for creative and memorable ways to carry out the wishes of their loved one regarding their remains. Although many take home their loved ones ashes in a crematory urn , it is estimated that 21.7% plan on scattering the remains at some point, up from 17.8% in 1997. For this reason, planning a ceremony for the scattering of ashes is an important aspect of consideration.

Since many funeral home directors include scattering services in their funeral packages, it brings up ideas that many traditional-minded families may not have considered. This is a time that decision making can be difficult and overwhelming,and given that the ceremony is one that is ingrained in one’s memory, the choice is important because it is often the only opportunity that you will have to honor the loved one and the life that you shared together.

When choosing ash scattering as the method of cherishing the memory of the person, it’s important to take into consideration particular areas that may hold a great significance to the one that has passed on. This is a particularly meaningful part of the grieving process, because it allows the observing family to have a visual image of their loved one resting  in a place that they cherished and spent much of their life surrounded by. Some people prefer to photograph or video tape the ashes being scattered over this place as a constant reminder that they will be surrounded by an area that they loved.

Even for those that choose scattering as a method of dispersing ashes, many families still like to have a small portion of the ashes or a lock of hair incorporated into a small memorial such as a piece of cremation jewelry or keepsake urn. Others prefer creating a memorial that may include a memorial stepping stone , memorial garden plaque, or a statuary or garden memorial sculpture to honor their loved one. Garden stones and garden benches can also be used indoors or out, and all create loving touches in your sacred space. Whatever your decision, this is a personal choice that is meant to honor and represent your passed loved one as well as heal, restore, and remember the time and life that your loved one spent on Earth.