Memorialization is the art of commemorating the lives of those loved, revered and respected. In all civilizations and generations, it has been desired to remember loved ones by erecting monuments. From pyramids to Indian burial mounds, public memorials such as Mt. Rushmore to simple private memorials, the creation of a monument has been the most common form of remembrance. A monument should last forever and the purchase of one should be made with great care and consideration. Granite and bronze are the most commonly used for monuments due to their durability, hardness and natural beauty.
8 Reasons to Memorialize with a Memorial (Even if Cremated)
- Cremation is a method of preparing a body, but does not take the place of a funeral service or a proper monument. A person may choose to be cremated, but that does not mean they do not wish to be honored and memorialized. Remains can still be buried in a family plot, interred in a family columbarium or placed in a communal columbarium or garden.
- A monument serves as an everlasting tribute to a life well lived and life worth remembering. It is a representation of that person and how they lived; it is a final gift. Monuments can be custom made and personalized to honor and depict that person the way the departed and family would have liked to be portrayed.
- Monuments provide a peaceful focal point where family can visit and be with their loved one and family.
- Monuments serve as a permanent record for future generations and genealogy. People often walk cemetery grounds to appreciate these works of art and history.
- Psychologists say that remembrance practices, from the funeral or memorial service to permanent memorialization, serve an important emotional function for survivors by helping to bring closure and allowing the healing process to begin. Providing a permanent resting place for the deceased whether it be traditional interment or cremation, is a dignified treatment of a loved one’s mortal remains, which fulfills the natural desire for memorialization.
- Monuments and memorialization have in some way or another been a part of every society as far back as we have records.
- Granite is symbolic in that it is everlasting, much like the love that was shared by and toward your loved one.
- Many people have regretted scattering the ashes of their loved ones and not memorializing them properly. Consider a memorial in a permanent and accessible place where survivors and descendants can visit and remember a loved one. If you still wish to be scattered, it is suggested that half be scattered at a location and the other half be buried in a family lot or interred in a cremation memorial or columbarium. You do not want to deny your loved one the privilege of being honored and remembered for generations to come.