Small ways to feel close to a lost parent

[MrsTopaz]

My dad passed in March, and I’m trying hard to find ways to integrate his memory into my day to day life… the man he was before he was Ill and couldn’t remember himself or us.
I wear the plastic card holder from his work lanyard to hold my ID on my lanyard, something that was once close to his chest on a daily basis is now close to mine.
ive changed my car reg to include his initials, so whenever I drive somewhere it’s like he’s coming with me.
I wondered if anyone had any other ideas of things that helped you to feel close. Doesn’t need to be big, just everyday things. Much love to anyone who finds themselves here.

I talk to my DD about my mum, her Granny who she remembers, i also ask my Mums advice.

I personally found coming to terms with my Mums death extremely hard, 7 years ago but i think of her constantly.

I had my Mum's wedding ring, which left me made into mine (the inside third) and my husband's (outside two thirds) wedding rings. She adored DH and knew about our planned elopement before she died. It's really special.

I lost my dad in August and it's still so raw . I talk to him in my head all the time. If I feel anxious I say 'Stanashwya' which he always said, apparently it means 'wait a minute' , I have no idea what language it is.
I look at my left thumb because it's identical to his.

I lost my Dad in January, and I'm still struggling to look at photos of him etc but I've got a lot of his belongings after clearing his flat. His favourite chair is in the living room, I've got his lamp next to my bed, and his best roasting pot left out on my cooker. It's really comforting, feels like he's all around me still.

I wear my Grandads wedding band and great grandmas ring everyday, they never leave my fingers. I light candles for passed family members, buy them flowers on special occasions, talk to them. My family loved gardening so I always feel close to them when I’m out in the garden.

My mum died unexpectedly in January, since her death I’ve brought her favourite flowers and I’ve just brought a Christmas tree decoration in her memory.

My wedding ring was my mother's. She died about six months before my wedding.

My dad died way back in 1980. He worked on I Claudius which has been re-shown recently and there's been quite a lot of chatter about it on social media so that's been lovely as it was a massive thing in our house at the time 🙂

I had a ring made with my dads ashes I wore that all the time until I couldn’t while pregnant as my fingers swelled!

Now I’ve lost Mum too I’m going to get a new one made with both their ashes to always have them with me!

Small thing- My dad loved cherries which I hadn’t consciously realised until the first summer after he’d died and I saw them in shops, and i suddenly realised they were a ‘dad thing’ and it just made me smile. Always choose a cherry sorbet cone in his honour too!

I wear my mum's sunglasses.

@JollyHostess101 I'm waiting for my ring made with dad's ashes to arrive, I hope it will look ok .

@Jklmo59 Put a picture of your dad next to a mirror and look for similarities from your dads face in you. Maybe you have his nose or eyes or ears or smile or stupid grin! Whenever you are missing him, look in a mirror and find that part of him in your face and you'll realise that part of him will always live on in you. That really helped me when I lost a family member.
Also writing letters to him.

Gosh this really got me so teary, such a lovely idea. I have his cheek bones I know, but I’ll do this and look for more. We miss them all so very much!

I absolutely adore mine really felt like I was taking dad “with me” on all my adventures!!

so many people complemented me on it at work….. all except 1 passenger who literally dropped my hand in disgust when I said it was his ashes 🤣

music, my dad loved opera as well as crooner style music.

although i can get some lovely frank sinatra, bing crosby, and dean martin; simply because of the style and availability lots of michael buble.

In his memory, plant a gorgeous shrub in a big pot (so it can come with you if you move) Then go and sit by the shrub with a cup of tea and chat to him. Water it, prune it, move it into sunny or sheltered spots in the garden. The act of caring for a living thing in his honour is very therapeutic.

Also I sometimes just look up and the sky and chat to him.

When I was born, my grandparents bought my mum a ring with two large, beautiful diamonds. She wore it every day. I now wear it every day too, connecting me to her, my birth, and my beloved grandparents.

I also often listen to a lot of the music she loved (Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush, Roxy Music, The Beatles) and sometimes wear her perfumes (Estee Lauder Private Collection or Youth Dew).

Sadly her life became a huge struggle for many years before she died, so much so that she was no longer interested in listening to music or putting on perfume. So these things remind me of happier times, too.

I wear my mum’s fingerprint on a necklace along with her cross and chain.
I have a photo of her with me by the hob. I usually have a flower in a bud vase beside it.
I have my favourite photo of her as my screensaver on my phone.
I now use her favourite perfume.
I have a small doll she made me on my dressing table.
I always did her a stocking at christmas. I now fill it with Wrapped chocolates for the family to share.
I miss her every day but these things help. Much love to everyone feeling similar.

I kept their mugs and use them everyday. They drank loads of tea.

Yes! I'm drinking out of my mum's mug as we speak ❤

Firstly, sorry for your loss and to everyone on here that have been bereaved too.

I wear my mum's and my nan's rings every day and on special family occasions, I often wear a pair of her earrings so that she's 'there' with us.
My dad had a garden ornament that you fix to a fence and that's on the fence at the bottom of my garden so that I see it when I look out of the window. Other garden ornaments too.
I have lots of photos of my mum and dad all over the house and often talk to them. I say hello to them every morning!

Recently cleared my DPs house and brought home my grandparents grandfather clock. I got it overhauled and it behaved well for the first few days in our home, but now is chiming random numbers at random times which makes us all jump! It brings back fond memories of GPs home, but also makes me realise why DF never wound it up when he inherited it. It's either seriously kaput or haunted by my lovely GPs!

@Woollyjumpersandtomatosoupweather we used to sing a song at school called My Grandfather's Clock x

I bought my dad's car. He didn't have it long at all but it was his and I feel very privileged to have it, got quite emotional too. I'm glad that I have it and it didn't get sold on, it was meant to be and hopefully he'd be pleased that I have it.

What a lovely thread. I am really missing my mum at the moment so even though I have things from her it is too painful to wear them. I just want to have more time with her to express my love for her and thank her for being the mother she was. I just miss her so.

Photo on your screen saver and in every room. You won't get away from him