Honouring Loved Ones

There’s no greater loss than that of a loved one, and even more so when the circumstances surrounding their death involve homicide. While there is no right or wrong way to pay tribute to your lost loved one, you may find enormous healing comes with honouring them in a way that treats your memories of them and your time with them with dignity, respect and love. At QHVSG we are privy to some of the beautiful ways our Members have chosen to honour their loved ones. If you would like to consider doing something similar or have a special means of paying tribute to them we would love to hear about it. With your permission we are sometimes able to publish details of how you have honoured your loved one through our e-newsletter and or website. If this is something you would feel comfortable in doing please let us know.

• Create a traditional or online scrapbook that includes a pictorial commemoration of your loved one’s life
• Write a poem that reflects what your loved one meant to you and how their life impacted on yours
• Tell your story in written words on or a short video and share it with your family and friends so they can understand the enormous impact your loved one had on your life
• Plant a tree or a plant in a place that was special to you and your loved one – somewhere you can visit and tend regularly (check with your local council on any restrictions that may apply to what types of trees or plants can be planted and where)
• Hold a wake in the manner your loved one would have liked, be that a small and intimate family gathering or a full blown party to celebrate their life
• Write a message to your loved one and place it in a bottle and then bury it somewhere significant to you and your loved one or release it in the sea
• Create a piece of art that reflects what your loved one meant to you, this can be an explosion of colour, a montage of textured pieces or even a sculpture – create something that would make your loved one smile
• Start a memorial website where you, your family and friends can pay homage to your loved one now and into the future
• Purchase a gift on behalf of your loved one on special occasions for other family members, including Christmas, birthdays, new born babies and the like
• Burn a candle on the anniversary of their passing each year and if you feel up to it invite family and close friends over to mark the occasion
• Make a list of all the wonderful characteristics of your loved one and handwrite or type them up and display in a frame with their photo on the wall of your home