Honouring your DECEASED MOM

THE ANNUAL Mother’s Day holiday can prove challenging for anyone mourning the loss of his or her mom, even long after she has died. Here are 10 meaningful ways in which you can honour your deceased mother and keep her memory alive on Mother’s Day.

SAY IT WITH FLOWERS

White carnations are traditionally the flowers chosen to remember mothers no longer with us, so pick up a bouquet and leave it at her gravesite or where her cremated remains were scattered after paying your respects.

You could also place the carnations into a vase next to her photograph or a candle as a quiet reminder of her throughout Mother’s Day or any holiday.

PUT ON AN APRON

If your mother made you a special meal or a favourite ‘comfort food’ when you were young, then why not honour her memory by cooking her favourite dish or something you remember her making often? Invite your family or friends over and make an event out of it by sharing your happiest mealtime memories during dinner. (But don’t be surprised if your guests think your mother was the better

cook!)

SEND AN AIRMAIL MESSAGE

If there’s something you wish you could have said to your mom before she died but never did, write it on an index card, tie it to a helium balloon and release it from a place special to your mother. No, she won’t actually get your message, but the symbolic nature of this gesture will likely prove more powerful and moving than you think.

PAY IT FORWARD

Make a donation to a cause meaningful to your mom in her memory. You might also consider volunteering a few hours of your time to benefit others.

FINALLY GET ORGANISED

Most families have an old shoebox filled with photographs sitting around that they’ve always meant to organise. (And even if you’re a child of the information age, chances are your digital pictures are just as chaotic). Mother’s Day or long holiday weekends offer a great opportunity to dig through those images with your family, share the stories behind the photos and create a special scrapbook or slideshow as a tribute to your mother.

GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY

If your mom loved to garden, then honour her memory by rolling up your sleeves and planting a few vegetables or herbs, even if your ‘garden’ is nothing more than a small pot you keep on a sunny windowsill.

UNLEASH YOUR INNER WORDSWORTH

Writing or journaling your thoughts and feelings is an effective way to reduce stress and often proves therapeutic. Whether you express yourself best sitting at your computer or using paper and pen, consider writing a private poem or letter describing how much your mother means to you.

FIND A PRESENT PROXY

If you traditionally sent your mom flowers on Mother’s Day, a holiday and/or her birthday, took her out for a meal, or gave her a gift, consider brightening this special day for another mother by doing the same thing for her. If you don’t know of somebody already, ask around at your place of worship, a nursing home or hospice, or even at your workplace. While your mother can never be replaced, consider your actions a gesture of love in her memory that would make her proud of the child she raised.