Living forever, for a lot of us, is a life goal that we will likely never achieve. We can, however, create lasting memories, leave legacies behind, and live on in forms beyond of our earthly coil. Trying to capture the essence of ourselves, or our loved ones, so that we can be with them when or after we are apart is one of the most human instincts. This need is one that separates us from animals, I guarantee you that your cat is not worried about leaving their mark on mankind, probably just on you and every piece of furniture you own.
Having experienced two major losses in our family at the end of 2017, I am totally on board with trying to find ways to hold onto memories as long as possible. Ideally meaningful ones, not just keeping everything that person ever touched or gave you. The fortunate part of living in the age of online, is that there are so many options out there, and numerous other creative people on the internet who have shared their ideas, that even if you have no clue where to start, or you don’t have a mountain of memorable physical items to hold onto, there is a way that your memories can be immortalized.
After my own personal search last year, I have compiled a few ideas that I really loved and thought the rest of the world might enjoy too. When we discovered the Sound Wave tattoo, it shot to the top of our must have tatt list. A young woman had the recorded voice of her Grandmother saying “I love you” from an old voicemail. She then used an app to play and capture the voice signature from the recording visually. The artist then tattooed the capture onto her skin, and when she holds her phone up over the tattoo it plays her Grandmother’s voice. For as long as she walks the earth, she will be able to cherish the sweet sound of her loved one. For those who aren’t too keen on getting inked, there is another option. Keeping on trend with the capturing of sound waves, we found a Etsy maker’s ChathamPlace Sound Wave prints on burlap.
If you are looking for a way to be immortalized yourself, consider one of these two unique and everlasting options. For the greener types, you can have your cremation ashes potted with soil, and give life to a new sapling. Choose the type of tree you’d like to be and where you would be planted for eternity, then live on as a beautiful shade giving, air cleaning tree. Check out BioUrn or The Living Urn.
Or if you’d prefer a more mobile life, you can have your ashes turned into gem stones, or added to blown glass memorials. EternalGlassworks is an Etsy maker glass memorial orbs and glass jewellry with your cremation ashes. You can send in your pets ashes as well. I like the idea that you can see the ashes all the time, and that instead of just sitting in an urn, they are displayed and appear to be almost living, the way they disperse throughout the glass. The orbs can be useful or decorative, as a paper weight, bookend, or ornament.
I have also really loved the idea of being compressed into a real gem stone. LifeGem has been around for a long time, I believe I first saw them on Oprah or something of that nature. You can really live on as a gorgeous light catching diamond. Choose your cut and colour, and decide if you want to be placed in a ring or necklace etc. The tricky part comes when your family has to decide to wear you, share you, display you, or pass you down as a family heirloom. I like the last idea the best.
No matter how you decide to memorialize loved ones, or how you yourself want to be immortalized, the important thing is to take the time to pause and remember. Talk about those we’ve lost, keep them in the conversation, pay homage to them when you can. Also, a great way to live on forever is in the works and deeds that we do every day. Make a difference, and your impact will create a ripple affect that will move on through time after you are gone.
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