Honouring loved ones this Christmas
When you think about Christmas time, it's quite often associated with the most wonderful memories of being surrounded by those you love. You think about the food, the gifts, and just spending quality time together. That said, this is not always the case for those who have experienced the recent devastating loss of a loved one. Even years later you will still probably feel that pain over the holidays when you think of trying to enjoy Christmas without them. Everyone experiences grief in their own personal way. There is no time limit on grieving and there's no rushing this process either.
Flowers are used for a number of occasions - both happy and sad. They can be used to make your home more festive over the holidays and you can send sympathy flowers to your friends and family when they lose somebody they love. If you are celebrating Christmas but you have a heavy heart, you can help make this time of year less painful by honouring your loved one with flowers.
Local and online florists often offer various custom bouquets and sympathy flowers that will certainly prove appropriate. Some good ideas include floral crosses, wreaths, and sprays. You can have them made according to your colour requests. If you specifically want to honour them for Christmas, you could order a poinsettia too.
Once you have decided on the type of flowers and the arrangement you want to order, you need to make plans to have the flowers delivered. Have them sent the day before or two days before Christmas if you are planning on visiting the cemetary on Christmas Day. Placing the flowers on their grave and spending some time reflecting on your time together can help bring closure and allow you to manage those emotions. Rather than keeping them all bottled up, try to let it out.
If your loved one was cremated, then you could visit the site where the ashes were scattered. You can either lay the flowers down or scatter the petals as you did the ashes. If your loved one was tragically killed in some kind of accident, you could visit that site and set a wreath or bouquet down as a memorial. Many people do this at the site of the accident in an effort to raise awareness and highlight particularly dangerous roads. It can also be comforting and help the healing process.
For those who prefer to do something private, you could order a bouquet of their favourite flowers, set them beside your favourite photo of them, and perhaps even light a candle. Allow them to maintain a strong presence in your home over the holidays and it can help you feel that much closer to them by actively celebrating their memory.
Finally, don't forget to surround yourself with as many friends and loved ones as possible over the holidays. It's not just about Christmas but the weeks leading up to Christmas and the days between Christmas and New Years. Keep your own spirits up by decorating your home with fresh flowers and do your best to get out of the house too.
