If you have lost a loved one, dealing with the grief can be a
difficult process, not only for you, but for each person whose life
was touched by your dearly departed. Creating an on-line memorial
website for him or her can be the most appropriate and enduring
tribute you can make to the life of the deceased, helping you and a
close circle of family and friends deal with the loss.
With a memorial website, you can express your love, allowing
family and friends to share memories from anywhere in the world. An
online tribute provides a central place for even strangers to
express sympathy and share in your grieving.
Over time as people contribute their messages, photos and poetry
it becomes a wonderful source of cherished memories for everyone to
reflect upon at any time. So no matter where you are in the world
or age, you can always ensure your loved one is remembered and
honored.
Steps
- Include biographical data, such as birth date, death date, full
name and places associated with life events. With an on-line
memorial Web site, you can fully document, celebrate and cherish
the life of a dearly departed. The biography can contain as little
or as much information as you like. You can always update or add
more at a later date.
- Add a portrait or picture of the departed. A well-chosen photo
of the departed paints a thousand words and offers a more personal
connection with visitors to the memorial. If you don't have an
digital photo, you'll have to digitize a conventional photo. To do
this, you will need access to a scanner for copying a photo onto
your computer. If you don't have a scanner, it's very likely that a
friend or family member does and are willing to help you. Also,
most print shops and office supply stores will be happy to scan
photos onto a CD for a small fee.
- Take time for the tribute text, which is the essence of your
memorial. It can be the funeral eulogy, a poem or your own thoughts
and memories. It's your memorial, so please take time to reflect,
remember and share how you felt, or feel, about your loved one.
Telling a story which stands out in your mind about the deceased is
always a good start.
- Consider adding multimedia (video, audio, photo albums) - not
all people have access to video or audio clips of their loved one.
If you do and are willing to include them, they allow a full
multi-media experience for visitors to the memorial. It is
advisable to keep the size of the video to a minimum for quick and
convenient download by visitors.
- Decide on a Web site host. You may prefer to register your own
domain to fully reflect the person being remembered, or you may
like to use the services of an on-line memorial website host. With
these services, you usually get a unique URL and an account for
customizing your Website. You will need to find an on-line memorial
service provider that suits your needs, budget and
expectations.
- Invite family and friends to visit and share their memories or
sympathy. Have ready a list of emails you would like to send
on-line invites to.
