Remembering someone

Note on COVID-19: Memorialising is different right now. Visit our page on memorialising during COVID-19.

It is normal for many bereaved people to worry that they will forget precious memories of their loved ones. It is common to long to hear a loved one’s voice, or experience how they felt or smelled.

This pining for someone may feel heart-breaking.

You may find it helps to memorialise your loved one. You might choose to:

  • write down memories about your loved one and how they were important to you
  • frame and display photos of your loved one, or make a digital library on a computer hard drive of pictures and videos
  • store things that remind you of them, in a memory box

You may want to start a ritual. For example, a regular walk to a special place that helps you feel calm, such as a bench or tree, where you think about the person who has died.

Some people find it helps to share memories. You may wish to set up an online tribute page, where lots of people can load up their memories.

You may want to memorialise in different ways, at different times, over a long time, rather than all at once.