by Texas Homesteader ~ 

At a memorial service for a dear friend, I saw a sweet remembrance idea provided by her family. They had a small basket holding packets of seeds. There were seeds for flowers, vegetables and herbs. 

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They requested mourners take a *Packet of Remembrance Seeds and plant them in honor of their departed loved one who was an avid gardener.

I loved their idea of honoring their loved one. Such a beautiful and long-lasting tribute to someone they held so dear.

Then I suffered my own loss…

Sweet Remembrance Idea

My mother passed away in 2022. As our family grieved we planned mom’s memorial.

Touched by the seed basket offerings years earlier at my friend’s memorial, I knew I’d be sharing sunflower seeds at mom’s service.

Environmental Damage Caused By Balloon Releases

People sometimes release balloons to honor a loved one who’s passed. But that wouldn’t honor mom at all! She would have hated that as much as I do.

Mom was a trained Master Naturalist. She knew and despised the environmental damage that balloon releases cause. There’s so much damage in a balloon release that most mourners don’t even think about.

Mom knew that balloons released into the air were bound to come back to earth as trash.

Ugly litter in roadways, fences and trees. And even death to animals accidentally ingesting those deflated balloons or the strings. Please don’t release balloons into the sky! They do so much damage.

Better Way To Honor Someone Who’s Passed

There’s a much better and long-lasting way to honor someone who’s passed.

Plant something in their honor, whether flowers, plants or trees. For mom’s memorial service we offered flower seeds in a basket to the mourners, the same as I’d seen done years ago.

Mom loved Sunflowers. As a matter of fact I planted sunflowers in our garden every year because she often commented about how beautiful they were when she came to the Homestead.

And I often picked them for her when she and dad would join us for supper. I’d always try to have a bouquet of sunflowers on the table just for her.

So I knew that sunflowers would be a beautiful way to honor mom. 

Memorial Service Seeds For Mourners

There will be no wasteful balloon release to memorialize my amazing mother. Instead I’ll ask mourners to do as mom would have wanted. Plant flowers in remembrance of her.

They can remember her fondly as they enjoy the beautiful yellow blooms for much longer than the fleeting glance of balloon waste floating away, destined to become trash somewhere else.

So for mom’s memorial service I decorated a small wicker basket and added the sunflower seed packets inside.

Next to the basket was a printed note asking mourners to take a packet of sunflower seeds home & plant them in memory of my mom. 

Another Memorial Idea – Plant a Tree For Longer-Lasting Remembrance

I’ve often planted things as remembrance for someone dear whom I’d lost. Sometimes a tree, sometimes a shrub, sometimes flowers. It’s a living memorial to honor & remember them.

Here in Zone 8 the fall season is the best time to plant trees. So that fall we also planted a tree in mom’s honor.

We made the tree planting part of a ceremony for family members who joined us for the planting. Each helped tuck the tree roots lovingly into the ground and water it for a healthy start. Each had the opportunity to speak or read a poem.

It was beautiful and meaningful. (you can read all about our Memorial Tree Planting Steps Here)

Benefits Of A Memorial Tree Planting

That tree planted in mom’s memory will live on for years & years, and I’ll smile each time I see it remembering her. It’s a truly lasting memorial, unlike the short time of watching balloons rise only to fall back to earth elsewhere as trash.

Birds will nest in the protective branches of this tree and raise their young. The tree will offer us shade in the heat of the summer. And the beauty of its blazingly-red leaves will be a feast for the eyes, as well as the heart each and every year.

Those Whom We Hold In Our Hearts Are Never Truly Gone.

~TxH~

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