Using Your Senses to Honor and Remember Your Loved One

Grief isn’t just something we think about. Grief is the energy created in the body after loss and the act of grieving is moving that energy through the body. One way to help move this energy through the body is by creating intentional time and space to honor your loved ones. 

Our senses are deeply connected to memory, which makes them a powerful way to honor and remember those who have passed. For example, scent, in particular, has a strong connection to emotion and memory. Just a whiff of a familiar fragrance can instantly transport you to a moment in time, making it a meaningful way to feel close to a loved one. 

But all of our senses, touch, taste, sight, and sound, can help us create rituals that keep their memory alive in everyday life.

Here are some ways to use your five senses to honor and remember your loved one:

Touch

Create or wear something meaningful, like a memorial blanket made from their clothing or a piece of their jewelry.

Carry a small keepsake in your pocket, like a stone, keychain, or fabric swatch that reminds you of them.

Write a letter to them, journaling your thoughts or updating them on your life, or write about your favorite memories with them. 

Get crafty: Paint rocks in their honor with meaningful words or designs, create a decorated memory box to hold special keepsakes, or make a scrapbook filled with favorite moments.

Taste

Cook their favorite meal or bake a dish they loved.

Visit their favorite restaurant or café in their honor.

Have a special toast with their favorite drink.

Smell

Wear their favorite perfume or cologne.

Light a candle or incense in a scent they loved.

Use a lotion, soap, or essential oil that reminds you of them.

Keep a dried flower, sachet, or other scented keepsake in a memory box.

Sight

Display photos of them in a place that brings you comfort.

Create a small remembrance space with their favorite objects.

Watch their favorite movie or look through old letters, notes, or keepsakes.

Read their favorite books or poems.

Sound

Play a song that reminds you of them or create a playlist of their favorites.

Listen to voicemails or recordings of their voice if you have them.

Spend time in nature and pay attention to the sounds they loved: waves crashing, birds chirping, or wind in the trees.

Honoring and remembering a loved one doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. Sometimes, the simplest things, a scent in the air, a familiar song, or the taste of a favorite dish, can bring a sense of connection and comfort.

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