Plant a Memorial Tree

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The ancient Greeks have a wonderful saying that “in the land where men plant trees whose shade they will never site under is a great civilization.” Tree’s are planted in the knowledge that they usually outlast man, by many generations. This is why people plant a memorial tree, it is something that transcends us, out short existences on this plant. It represents the connection between us and the eternal, between the earth and us. That has always been the power of memorial tree as a plant.

People who look at the idea of planting a memorial tree are ones who have at least an element of spirituality. Those who maybe appreciate that this beautiful growing plant can symbolize all that was good and beautiful in a person.

When you decide to plant a memorial tree, you should look at where that person had an association with, where was there an emotional country. If they had a connection to this country, then look at one of our trees. If they loved the local park in Boston or New York, then maybe instead ask the town parks if you can plant a memorial tree there. It is about what you feel and they would have wanted.

If you decide to plant a memorial tree for someone in your garden, make sure that the dimensions of your garden, give adequate space for the tree plant to expand. If it is a small garden then maybe you should plant a memorial tree that will not grow too fast or too large. One thing that you should be very conscious is where are there over head wires.

To plant a memorial tree is to transfer a lot of attachment from a person that is passed on, in to something that is a growing connection to the world. To all that is . It is quiet a powerful connection.

I hope that if you decide to plant a memorial tree that it brings you understanding, that it lessens the grief for the bereaved and that it helps move on in the process.

Gift for Sympathy

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Nowadays with the advent of online shopping and e-commerce., the choice in buying a gift for sympathy has changed utterly. Prior to the advent of the net, sympathy gifts were confined to flowers for funerals and a card.

The gifts of sympathy that have have really developed over the last few years are sympathy baskets and memorial trees, unusual gifts such as a bag of soil from a country like Ireland that had great meaning to the loved ones. These are oft used to grow a plant in for the grave, or for a memorial garden or to scatter on the grave so that a connection to the auld sod is there with their loved one always.

Sympathy gift baskets usually consist of a variety of items. The best sympathy baskets have items that can be used over a few months.  Ideas can included music CD’s and books. A wonderful book to included as a gift for sympathy is “Chicken Soup for the Soul”, an exploration of grief, how to deal with it, hope and renewal. It is a book that one can dip in to on an ongoing basis as the sympathy tips are page long explorations.

Another great idea is the gift of a sympathy tree. Trees are a highly potent symbol of the connection between this world and the next. The sympathy tree is the longest lasting gift that you can give. They are planted in a special site, and the family of the deceased receive a certificate of planting and a photo of the sympathy tree.

If you want something that is more immediate and that you can touch, why not look at a sympathy stone for the garden. A carved center piece stone that can be placed as a focal piece in the garden. Why not plant flowers around it, to make it a beautiful reminder of special memories in your garden.

If you have any query on what might be an ideal gift for sympathy, why not leave a comment in the box below or navigate to the home page and go to our contact us page.  I hope that you find the sympathy gift that properly honors them.

Tree as a Gift

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Tree as a Gift idea

If you are looking at unique gift ideas for a special occasion, a marker of a significant event such as the birth of a child then you should consider a tree as a gift.

We have all seen how recently people are setting trees in their gardens or having them planted as a gift on a special site, to mark events such as the birth of a child or the passing of a loved one.  A tree gift can apply to one that is either planted in your back garden or planted by an organization who specifically does that.

If you are looking at getting a tree gift for a garden, then a really wonderful one is Apple or Cherry Trees. Both of these trees respond well to being shaped and pruned so you can control the size and also have beautiful blossoms. If you have children they will enjoy the idea of picking the fruit. These tree gifts are ones that keep on giving.

Alternatively we offer the planting of a memorial tree as a gift, it is planted on our site. We’ll send over a photo of the tree and a certificate of planting and dedication. Their will also be a plaque for the tree gift created. For more details visit out tree gift page.

If you have any more questions about our tree gifts why not send me an email. Please visit our contact page.

Memory Candle Gifts

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Memory Candle Gifts

Memory Candle Gifts are probably the oldest memory gift that mankind knows off. Records from the ancient world shows that the use of candles lit in memory of a loved one is a constant throughout the history of mankind.

Candles have always been used to bring light to a situation, often used to light places of worship. Whether that was a church or a private alter. The flicker of a memory candle was something that comforted us as we prayed. It gave light in the dark. That though we did not understand what was on the other side to a great deal that there was more to this life and that our loved ones lived on.

Memory candles are usually larger than normal candles, often up to a foot high and several inches wide. They are built to last for years, maybe being lit at special occasions such as birthdays or Christmas. Memorial candles can be personalised as well. This is done by embossing a design on to the candle. This can be a variety of colors. Atypically memory candles have a gold or silver design and then a personal message of sympathy of up to 20 words. This does depend on the candle maker of course.

Memory candles usually cost from anywhere between 18-50 dollars. The average time for a manufacturer to create a memory candle is about 3 days. This is also to allow for the ingredients to be present and to allow for planning the cycle of manufacture. Basically there may be others who have orders in first. The dispatch time is however quick enough, with the memory candles being dispatched in America with 48 hours and 5 days to most parts of the world.

If you have any questions about memory candles, why not leave a comment on the blog and I’ll do my best to answer those questions.

Picking In Memory Gifts – Options to look at

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If you have a friend or a relative that has suffered a loss then you are going to be looking at picking an in memory gift. It is never an easy thing to do, to decide on a memory gift. However you can be certain that the person that has suffered the bereavement will appreciate it and that it will make a difference in the grief process.

Some of the more popular in memory gifts are:

In Memory Tree.

Why not have a tree planted in memory of someone as a gift, on our site. It is in a beautiful rural, area beside a little river on our family farm. An Oak memory tree can last 500-1000 years, giving back to nature. It becomes a living habitat. What is a more perfect memorial gift than a majestic tree, with wildlife living it, and wild flowers and plants growing underneath.

In Memory Plaque.

Plaques as an in memory gift can take many forms. They can be stone plaques, Celtic plaques or wooden ones. The wooden Celtic plaque with an intricate Celtic design, personalized with a message of sympathy and remembrance. The intricate Celtic plaques are hand carved and are based on traditional designs.  These in memory gifts are designed with the idea of being placed on the wall or if it is made of stone that it is

In Memory gift Candles.

These candles are a center piece gift. One that stands out and is a very visible and powerful reminder of all that was good in a person. How they lit up our lives. Memory candle gifts have always represented the spiritual, the belief that the good and essence of someone lives on after they have left this world. These candles are embossed with designs and a personalized message of hope and remembrance. They can be burnt and lit on certain days and are long lasting.

A very unusual in memory gift.

The call of the auld sod is very powerful. This gift ties in with that memory, that belonging. You can purchase an Irish soil gift that will be delivered to a friend or family member. So they can place it on the grave of their loved one. Where ever they are, they will always be at home. The gift of the auld sod, is in compliance with American Ad. Dept. guidelines.

I hope that these in memory gift ideas will help

Plant a Memorial Tree Gift

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Plant a memorial treeThe first thing that people look for in a memorial gift is one that is going to last. The poignancy of loss is too raw, too immediate to have to face a gift that also fades from sight and the imagination. Flowers as a funeral gift are fleeting and have become overdone. It is always best to convey the true depth of your emotions that you want to express via a memorial gift planting.

Over the last hundred years, the idea of a memorial tree gift has become steadily more popular. As society changed to value and realize that nature, like us, is a fragile thing, all too readily lost. People started realizing that a tree as a gift, was a  great way of giving back to society and a great funeral memorial gift.

The planting of a Memorial Tree Gift has spread across the world and can now be found in most countries. Options also include planting the tree gift in a public park, so that it can be appreciated by everyone who passes or alternatively in a special purpose site. These sites are often focused on being a memorial tree garden but also being a reafforestation project. Giving something back to society and to nature be ensuring that the ecology of an area is preserved.

Memorial tree gifts can also be bought and purchased from businesses online, where you can plant them in your own garden as a focal point and a reminder of all that was beautiful and wonderful in a person. Symbolically represented in the tree.

If you decide that you are going to plant a memorial tree, then you need to look at the location that you are going to be setting it in. Make sure that you have the space and the area to accommodate future growth. If it is a limited area then I would suggest that you look at trees that are compact in nature. Cherry Blossom trees are a wonderful one to consider.

If you do not go for a planted memorial tree or one you plant yourself, then you can maybe approach your local council and ask them if they will allow a tree to be planted in memory, with a plaque in one of their parks. Some Cities actively encourage this. As you can imagine, it is best that you ask the city before you decide to plant one. Just to avoid any difficulties after.

I hope that this article has given you ideas on why you should look at planting a memorial tree as a gift.

Memorial Gardens – How to establish and care for one

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Memorial gardens are a great way of transforming a corner of your garden in to a living memorial to a loved one. They can be as complex or as simple as you like.

If you do decide to plant a memorial garden, pick an area that gets plenty of sunlight. Look at the shape and area of the garden. Will it be large and offset with a memorial tree or is the space more compact. Is there a wall that you can attach a memorial plaque or remembrance stone to be a center piece of the garden.

Look at flowers and plants that the person may have liked or alternatively go for colours that they liked.

I would recommend that your memorial garden has a no. of plants that flower at different times. Snowdrops, for the start of Spring. Daffodils for mid spring and Tulips for the start of the summer. Tea roses will provide colour late in to the fall as well. It is about finding a balance, so that these plats can provide ongoing colour at the memorial garden.

These plants are all perennial, which means that they come back year after year. This is what the symbolism of a memorial garden is all about.

Make sure that the ground in the garden is suitable. If it is very heavy, ie wet. You should add sand to make it more free draining. If it is very fine, and you live in an area with low rainfall, then why not add in some peat moss, or compost. This will enrich the soil and also store moisture in the memorial garden. Adding in rich compost is always advisable, as it will ensure good plant growth for years to come.

Memorial garden plants can be given as gifts from friends and family. It can be part of a shared effort.

As the Rose bushes grow, cuttings can be taken from the plants and given to friends and family to plant in their own gardens. It shares the experience, shares the healing.

I hope the creating a beautiful memorial garden is a process of hope, love and healing for you.

Remembrance Stones and garden plaques

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Remembrance stone gifts gave become quiet popular recently, as people look at using them as a center piece of a memorial garden. Remembrance stone gifts have also become more accessible through the creation of man made substances that are not as heavy as real stone. So they can be bought online as remembrance gifts and delivered to a person’s home as a gift.

One may think that these remembrance stones are a new invention but their history goes back in many cultures. From cairns in ancient Ireland, where stones were piled up and a new one cast on, at certain festivals and to the Jewish tradition of leaving a little stone on the monument. This is one that is quiet well know nowadays, thanks to the powerful and moving closing scene at the end of Schindler’s list.  You can now purchase personalised remembrance stones, with messages such as “Always remembered” ” in loving memory”. They are a wonderful way of ensuring that an old tradition can carry on, and reach out and give hope to others.

When you look at a site like the Comfort Company, most of its best selling remembrance gifts are actually memorial stones. These remembrance stones are made from stone cast concrete. These stones in have the feel of real stone. An atypical measurement for these gifts is 12-18 inches to 10 inches high and weighing in at about 8 lbs.

These remembrance stones are waterproof and highly durable. They can be set in to a variety of locations. On to a garden wall, as part of a pathway or in to the ground as a memorial garden centre piece. I have seen these stones off set with beautiful flower as a focal point of a memorial garden. Just ordinary pansies growing around them, but they are a powerful and highly touching gift.

I hope that this review has given you a new perspective on remembrance stone gifts and why they are a very apt gift to give to someone who has lost a loved one.

 

 

Irish blessings and Irish sayings for all occasions

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Irish Blessing and Irish Sayings have a long history. The Irish language from which most of them are directly translated is noted for being very poetical. Indeed it one of the few languages where poets used meet to agree developments to improve its written style. These changes were then agreed upon, implemented and became part of the living language. Irish blessings and Irish sayings are now know all across the world. The ones that we have picked are old blessings that are apt for general use and for weddings and other events.

Irish blessings for all occasions

May God not weaken your hand
Nár lagaí Dia do lámh!

“May God grant you always…A sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering Angel so nothing can harm you. Laughter to cheer you. Faithful friends near you. And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.”

“May God give you…For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.”

“May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live”

May God grant you always…
A sunbeam to warm you,
A moonbeam to charm you,
A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.

May joy and peace surround you,
Contentment latch your door,
And happiness be with you now
And bless you evermore

May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine on your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

New Years Irish Blessing

In the New Year, may your right hand always
be stretched out in friendship and never in want.

May neighbours respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And heaven accept you.

May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine on your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Old Irish Wedding Blessing

May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire.

 

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this collection of Irish blessings and sayings. There are numerous blessings and sayings from Ireland, certainly for every occasion that you can think of.

Sympathy Messages – How to write

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When a person looses a loved one, it is a very lonely and isolated time. . Even though their will be others grieving. It is a personal journey. Sympathy Messages at this time can really help in the healing process, in breaking the grief, if temporarily and letting them know that you are there for them.

It can be quiet daunting having to write a sympathy message. How can you express all you want to say when a friend is hurting so, encapsulate it all in a few lines. Here are some useful ideas to apply when you are writing a message of sympathy.

First make a list of what you are feeling. Words that you want to express comfort with, the solidarity and concern that you feel for them. This isn’t about coming up with a long list but getting to the heart of what you feel in the words and language you use every day. After all this message of sympathy is an expression of your feelings.

This isn’t a time for light heartned ripostes even if they are well intended. At a time of heightened emotion they might be taken up wrong or they might make the grief worse.

A sympathy message is primarily focused on the living, it is about bringing them out of the dark spot that they have entered. Bereavement can lead to depression, condolences and sympathy for loss are about showing them that they are not alone.

The message does not have to be that long. It is the sentiment that it is all about rather than the length of the message. They will understand that your words of sympathy are heartfelt rather than just being brief.

Do avoid the use of cliches and stock phrases, they come across as worn out. Do not reference your own losses in your life. This is a personal thing for them, it is not a compare and contrast event.

Here are some examples of Sympathy Messages:

“I can’t imagine what you are feeling, but I want to express my condolences to you. Please let me know of any way I can help you.”

“I am sorry you lost your mother. I know she loved you very much and you will miss her greatly. I will remember her as a woman of great character.”

These ideas for sympathy messages are not set rules. One thing that you can be certain of is that if the emotion is real then it will be appreciated.