How do you honor a loved one once they have passed?

My great grand mothers birthday is today. She passed away five years ago tomorrow. she lived to see her 97th Birthday and she knew we loved her very much. She cared for me a lot when I was little- my mom's primary baby sitter so i was very close to her.
so I will honor her in several ways tomorrow. She was cremated and was not giving a service when she passed so I have no place to go to visit her. So when she passed away five years ago I planted a Peace Lily in a large pot. It has flourished and it is so beautiful now.
I think of her whenever I hear this song:

This Flower Kasey Chambers

Well this flower is my soul
But it's not half of what I owe
I should give you every rose that I ever grew
But take this one here for a start
And you can keep it in your heart
I have everything I need because of you

Well if my life was long enough
to pack up everything I love
I would do just that and give it all to you
But it's impossible to pay
All the things that you gave away
Si this flower I give will have to do

All the flowers growing wild
For ten thousand lonely miles
It's not near enough to give you what I should
So I will owe you for a while
Maybe longer than my life
I would give you all the world if I could

three of my grandparents have already passed. the death of my grandma was the hardest to hit me. i don't know what i'll do when my last grandma passes, and i've begun to think of that more and more lately. i hate to think of it, but she is getting up there in years.

the flower is a beautiful memory. i'm sure she passed knowing how much love you had for her.

fantasyislander said:

It is never easy I suppose. She was the only grand parent I really knew so she is special. She is my angel in haven

Shanti1 said:

i knew two of my great-grandmothers. tbh, when the one died i didn't even cry. i hardly knew her and i was 7, i think. but i have very fond memories of the other one. Grandma Nettie was the coolest old grandma ever! i remember she drove fast i would love holding my arm out the window as she sped down the road. she lived in the country and i would go to spend the night with her. she let me play with her old dolls, and i remember the smell of the bed i slept in. i do miss her, very much. but i was pretty young when she passed as well.

Rest in Peace my angel

I miss you

Shanti1 said:

Shanti a big for you... and I have to say I love that you chose this Kasey Chambers song she's an amazing artist


My Mum passed away over 8 years ago but I don't really have anything to honour her as such I guess the fact that both my Brother and I are good people who have a lot of love to give, and still love her in our hearts, is our way of honouring her

the fact that we're both living our dreams would make her very proud I hope

I don't do anything specific to honor my grandmother, my dad's mother, the grandparent I was closest to, but I tell stories about her all the time. I'm constantly reminded of her sense of humour (when she was laying in a hospital bed, hating the brussel sprouts she had been served for dinner she told my dad to make himself useful and stand at the end of her bed so she could start flinging them at him in sport) and her innocence (when the first wave of catholic priest sex scandals hit the media in the 80's, she pulled my mother aside and asked her what oral sex was cause she kept hearing about it on the news, but didn't know. My mother told her she didn't know either. ).

Not a week goes by I don't think of her at least a few times.

I still miss her.

Thanks Natisse

Sounds like you and your brother are both honoring your mother in the best possible ways which I am sure makes her proud everyday!!

I love Kasey Chambers - she has been to Florida three times and every time she came here we made sure we went to see her. She is amazing..
Thanks for sharing




Carrie- that is very awesome that you tell stories of her- that is important to keep their spirit alive. My dad and I did that last night- shared our favorite foods she cooked for us and funny things that she used to say.
Thanks for sharing


My dad sent me a clock of hers and I pick it up from post office today- can't wait!!

Day before yesterday was my mom's birthday. She would have been 57. This is the first yer I haven't done something to honor her memory but even after her passing away 14 years ago, I still think of her everyday. Now we didn't get along much and she was barely speaking to my other sisters when she left here, but I try to remember the good times we did have. My mom gave me my appreciation for all things Motown so when I hear certain songs, I think of her.

Stymie said:

x 1000

Natisse said:

Thank you Nat.

the 19th anniversary of my mom's death was on tuesday. i never do anything to honor her passing, save for thinking of her.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

It's a real coincidence that this thread should pop up now. It's been 21 years on the 8th that my paternal grandmother passed away, 48 years on the 22nd that my paternal grandfather died and 27 years for my maternal grandfather on the 10th.

Valory i hope that this day passes with you remembering mommom and the happy memories you shared. These times are never easy as you well know but keeping her memory like this eases the pain and i am sure would make her very proud.You are a wonderful human being and i know that much of that si due to her, so all of us that are proud to call you friend owe her our thanks.

Thank you.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I have R.I.P. MOM 1938-2003 tattoed on my arm, and I visit her gravesite several times during the year.

uPtoWnNY said:

I got my grandfathers service number over my heart just yesterday,

Stymie said:

My dad's 78th birthday would have been nine days ago. I think about him every day and remember all the wisdom he passed on to me. He was an amazing man.

applekisses said:

the man that threw me in the snow
that's my dad

passed away from complications from Diabetes

Thanks so much to everyone who has shared on my thread.

Much Love and Peace to all of you

Shanti1 said:

it brought back some beautiful and happy memories.

thanks val and i hope you had a beautiful day.

wow Kasey Chambers made it in the states? wow!

ZombieKitten said:

She sure did - a few years ago even. My ex was into those kinds of artists so she was not in the mainstream but she did perform at a small place in Tampa. Really enjoy her music.

Shanti1 said:

I think she is great!

fantasyislander said:

It sure was- my dad sent me something special of hers and a friend helped me remember her as well.
It was a good day considering she was not here to share it with me.

ZombieKitten said:

I must say I like her older stuff better but she is very talented.

Shanti1 said:

do you know that song about changing the lock on her front door? the first song I ever heard of hers.

applekisses said:

I wish I could have had a dad to remember in that way. Mine was a real shit head

Shanti1 said:

Shanti thats really beautiful and thoughtful. I often think of my grand mothers passing with sadness as I never got to know her well. Them the breaks I guess.