Ritual and Remembrance

Ritual and remembrance are meant just as much for us as they are for our loved ones.  Each anniversary of our loved ones passing is yet another opportunity for us to say goodbye, the farewell we didn’t get to say the first time around.  Letting go of someone is part of life, just like saying hello to someone new.  It’s Important to show ourselves and others that we haven’t forgotten those we loved very much.  We can show that love through a gesture like laying flowers at the site where her ashes are interred, or it can be asking the church that conducted the original funeral mass to name him in a memorial on the anniversary of his death.  The important part is that we show up to respect and honor the person’s life and our own.

Rituals are a way to celebrate a life instead of obsessing over the death.  Today I employ rituals to gain closure from suicide.–Excerpt from Healing the Hurt Spirit, by Catherine Greenleaf 

To learn more about grief rituals: https://www.thedinnerparty.org/rituals and for a long list of different cultural rituals: https://thedinnerparty.org/s/ritualcollection

Other Posts You May Also Like

When Music Becomes a Bridge to Healing — How creating a video tribute for our son John’s birthday became a healing ritual, and the power of music in honoring those we’ve lost.

Photographs After a Suicide Loss — Gathering, preserving, and eventually finding comfort in photos of your loved one as a form of ongoing remembrance.

Finding Your Way Through the Holidays: A Guide for Survivors of Suicide Loss — Practical ideas for creating meaningful ways to honor your loved one during holiday gatherings, including remembrance jars and memory-sharing traditions.

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day: Finding Connection and Hope — A collective ritual of remembrance where survivors gather annually to honor those lost and find connection with others who understand.

Day 2,922 of Our Journey: The Gift — How rituals of remembrance, like seeing our son’s name in the Book of Remembrance at church, continue to bring comfort years after loss.