Creating a Memorial Keepsake Box For Your Deceased Loved One

A common practice during grief is putting together a memorial keepsake box. Whether done intentionally or instinctively, gathering small items that remind you of your departed loved one can be a soothing ritual. Let’s discuss what exactly a memorial keepsake box is, how to put one together, and why you might want to. 

What is a Memorial Keepsake Box?

A memorial keepsake box is a coping mechanism in which you fill a box with things that help you remember your deceased loved one. The contents can include pictures, keepsakes, and any items that have personal meaning. A memorial keepsake box is a personal way to remember and honor your passed loved one that is meant to bring you comfort, help you cope with your grief, and give you a safe space to reflect on your loved one and the time you spent with them. 

How to Create a Memorial Keepsake Box

Selecting a Box

Choosing a memorial keepsake box is a unique and personal experience. Everyone is different. You can select anything from a shoebox to a customized and engraved wood chest for a memorial keepsake box. When choosing your memorial keepsake box, you must consider what box size you want, your budget, and how movable you want your box to be. Selecting a box can be difficult for some, but remember that this is your memorial box, so you should choose a box that brings you peace, which can mean anything from using a cardboard box to using a safe. The important thing is that you feel comfortable in your decision and that the box will fit you.

Choosing Items for the Box

Choosing what to put in your memorial keepsake box can be challenging. Overall, it’s important to remember that this is your memorial keepsake box, so what’s sentimental to someone else might not be sentimental to you, and that’s okay. The items you put into your memorial keepsake box can be anything that brings you comfort and helps you to remember them. Some examples of things people commonly put into keepsake memorial boxes are pictures, jewelry, and keepsakes. Remember that you can add things to the box anytime, if needed. This box is yours and is meant to be used and celebrated. 

Personalizing the Box

Personalizing your memorial keepsake box can be as simple as selecting a box that reminds you of your passed loved one. The most important thing about your box is that it brings you comfort and gives you a safe place to process and cope with your grief, and eventually a place you can look at fondly to remember and honor your passed loved one. This box is yours, and your box should reflect that by having it show the things that are important to you.

Why Create a Memorial Keepsake Box?

Though there are many ways to remember and honor a loved one who has passed away, a memorial keepsake box is considered one of the most meaningful. With a keepsake memorial box, you have a tangible connection to your loved one’s memory and a personal reminder of the person they were and their impact on others.

Reflection

Making a memorial keepsake box gives you a lot of time to reflect and think about your passed loved one and the time you spent together. While making the box, you dive into your feelings and try to associate keepsakes and meaningful objects with your positive memories of your deceased loved one. This process can be helpful when grieving and helps you remember and cherish the time you spent with them.

Healing

With memorial keepsake boxes, there’s something therapeutic about making and keeping one, and many people use them as coping mechanisms to give themselves a tangible reminder of their loved one that is personal and unique. This process can help people cope with their grief and help them ensure that their loved one is remembered in a meaningful way.

Storytelling

When you make a memorial keepsake box, you’re making a story; with every item that you place into the box, you’re adding another small piece of your deceased loved one’s life to the story that you can tell your friends and family to ensure that their memory lives on through you and your box.

Connection

Making a memorial keepsake box can help you feel connected to your passed loved one by giving you a tangible and meaningful way to remember and honor them. By making the box yourself, you’re given a way to create a unique and one-of-a-kind memorial that shows who they were as a person and the connection you had with them. 

Honor Their Life, Your Way

With these memorial keepsake boxes, it’s important to remember that this box is yours and should reflect that; everything in the box should be something meaningful to you. This box isn’t a family memorial that everyone is contributing to, this box is yours to keep and to share with whoever you feel comfortable sharing it with, No one is entitled to seeing your box or the contents of it, this box is a way for you to remember and honor your passed loved one and no one else's.

Works Cited

www.myfarewelling.com/article/creating-a-memory-box-for-a-deceased-loved-one
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/5-stages-of-grief-coping-with-the-loss-of-a-loved-one