Celebration of life – after death

Although we don’t want to think about anyone close to us dying, how we manage our lives afterwards and how we keep them alive in our thoughts after death is an interesting topic. The team from Flying Home shares some of the wonderful ways our loved ones continue to live on in our own lives.

To many, death is the absolute end: the end of life, the end of the person, the end of companionship and so much more. After all, you can’t see your loved one anymore; you can’t touch their hand or hear their voice. Death seems to bring a big, black full stop. 

But death, in fact, is not the end of a person in your life. Your loved one continues to live on … in you. 

Losing somebody you love is an incredibly hard transition – it can leave a hole in your life that feels impossible to fill. The truth is, though, that void is already full in many ways, if you just pay attention. That’s because those we’ve lost live on in many ways.

# Through children and grandchildren

We are the offspring of our parents and grandparents, the product of half of each of our parent. Our parents are in us. Our grandparents are in us. When you look at your family members, you always see shared characteristics in each other. There are times you will feel like you are talking to your grandpa when it is, in fact, your dad you are looking at.

# Through family recipes

Often, we hear people reminiscing about their beloved parent or grandparent’s cooking. “My mum made the best cake ever!” Sharing those family recipes can keep us connected to the past. As we cook their best dishes, it reminds us of the things they did and the times spent sitting together, enjoying the food they made.

# In our motivation in life

Our loved ones live on as motivations. The values and aspirations that they have shared and passed on to us are motivations and reminders to us in our lives. To follow their values can constantly remind us to be better versions of ourselves. 

# In stories and memories

Sharing stories about family members and friends we’ve lost brings those people to life in many ways, connecting those who knew the departed, or introducing them to those who didn’t. Remembering old times keeps those we love alive in our memories. For this reason, it’s important for us to spend more time with our loved ones and make those memories before they leave us. That time spent together is imprinted in us.

Death is like a finishing line of being a human only. Our relationships don’t stop there. Loved ones continue in our lives for every important moment – even just as we start reminiscing about their presence and thinking about the words they said or would say if they were sitting next to us.

The lesson? Start creating memories now with the people you love, then keep them safe, deep inside your heart, so they’ll never truly leave you.

World United for a Life Day

You can join Flying Home in commemorating the lives of loved ones on World United for a Life Day. Celebrate how they continue to live on with you by sharing your memories via the website at flyinghome.com, or on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtags #WorldUnitedForLifeSG #DeathIsNotTheEnd and #FlyingHomeSG.

Flying Home is a funeral company specialising in repatriation.
flyinghome.com

For more helpful tips, head to our Living in Singapore section.

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Melinda Murphy

Melinda does Special Projects for Expat Living which includes pulling together big stories, videos — all sorts of cool stuff. It all builds on her background as a television correspondent, producer and author back in the US. Her life is kind of a special project, too, with two young kids, an old dog, a ridiculous number of volunteer activities — and a very understanding hubby.