Whilst Christmas is undoubtedly a time of celebration it is also a time for reflection. We opened our Christmas Memorial Wall for 2023 back in November and the response has been overwhelming - with thousands of tributes added already. We explore some of those tributes today.
Pay tribute to your loved ones
The honesty, affection and love shown in the tributes added to the Memorial Wall is beautiful. Angie's tribute to her dad (photo example) shows love and respect. It is a beautiful poem speaking of the everlasting bond between father and daughter.
Many of the tributes talk of their loved ones still being with them - one mentions a robin coming into their bedroom and sitting on their pillow:
'My Beautiful Dad I'm so sorry I haven't left you any messages but you know what I know that was you that came to visit me a few days ago as a robin redbreast you sat on my pillow in the bedroom I broke down but also lifted my spirits I've missed you so much, dad.'
Robins have long been associated with the spirit of loved ones, accounting for the well-known saying 'Robins appear when loved ones are near'.
Memories of Mum
We've received lots of tributes sharing memories of Mum at Christmas. One theme running throughout the Memorial Wall is that of lost loved ones being reunited after death. This is such a lovely idea and something that brings great comfort to many in times of loss.
'To my mam, our first Christmas without her. You would always spoil us at Christmas with presents!
No mince pies that you would make for us.
Hope you have a nice Christmas with Dad and all the family!
Miss you every day.'
This reminds me of a popular verse we see in many funeral notices:
"Our family chain is broken
and nothing seems the same,
but as God calls us one by one
the chain will link again." - Ron Tranmer.
Christmastime is bittersweet for most of us, with nostalgia and tradition bringing back memories. How many of us have baubles on our tree that evoke memories of family and friends from the past? Does the smell of warm mince pies remind you of a grandparent? Or does the sound of a Christmas song put you in mind of a particular memory? That sense of nostalgia is summed up in this next tribute:
'Miss singing "I wish it could be Christmas every day" and you telling us to shut up because you didn't like the song 😅.Never forget your lush roast 🥔 potatoes. Miss you.'
Another wonderful thought, present in many tributes, is that of loved ones celebrating Christmas in Heaven:
'To Mum
Merry Christmas 2023 I hope you’re raising a Baileys up there I miss you beyond words.'.
'Missing you both so much merry Christmas in Heaven mum & dad, you will always be in our hearts'.
'Wishing you and my boy a wonderful Christmas in heaven darling dad. I hope you both will be with us as we raise a glass to you. Know that I miss you both so much & will see you in the clouds one day.'
This year the Christmas Memorial Wall is being used to collect donations for Mind - the mental health charity. So far people have kindly donated £160 in memory of their loved ones - an amazing achievement. The generosity of people in their grief is always astounding - thank you.
Adding your tribute is easy. Simply head over to the Christmas Memorial Wall
here and click 'add a tribute now' on the left-hand side.
The Memorial Wall allows you to add unlimited tributes and photos and add Christmas memories and candles in memory of your loved ones.
The Memorial Wall will be available on funeral-notices.co.uk from November 1st to January 8th, 2024, and will provide a safe space online for anyone wishing to remember a loved one this Christmas.
Please look at our
previous blogs here.
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