Choosing cremation doesn’t mean a person doesn’t want to be honored, memorialized… remembered. Some individuals want to be cremated and then scattered, but they can still be memorialized. It is important to memorialize because it says that their life mattered. A monument, whether it is a plaque on the outside of a niche, or a plaque on a memorial wall; serves as an everlasting tribute to a life worth remembering. It is a final gift.

A memorial brings families together. It provides a peaceful focal point where the family can visit. On some memorial plaques you can add more than just the person’s name, birthdate and death date. You may want to add that person’s favorite scripture verse, or a phrase that tells a little about the person or about how they lived their “dash”. There is a poem written by Linda Ellis Called “The Dash” . She explains how “only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.”

These memorials are forever. People often walk through and read the plaques appreciating the history and information. Memorialization is who we are. Monuments and memorialization have been a part of every society as far back as we have records.

Memorialization is a healthy part of the grieving process. Psychologists say that remembrance practices, from the memorial service to having a permanent memorialization, serves an important emotional function for survivors by bring closure and allowing the healing process to begin. There won’t be regrets. Many people have regretted scattering the cremated remains of a loved one; they should consider a memorial in a permanent and accessible place where it can be visited. Scattering gardens should have a memorial wall nearby for these plaques.