Losing a loved one is hard and one of life’s most difficult experiences. Coping with grief is not a mechanised process where all the emotions once felt can be neatly packed into airtight boxes and kept away, never to be thought of again.
The grieving process can be unpredictable, giving way to big feelings that we seldom feel. While it may seem that the hurt and pain will consume you and the emotions are overwhelming, it is not permanent.
There are several ways to keep your mind from being overwhelmed. One of the most common and effective ways to cope with loss is planting a tree in a memorial garden for your loved one.
What is a Memorial Garden?
It is a protected botanical garden that houses majorly memorial trees. These trees grow out of a special kind of soil organically treated with human ash. Memorial trees are a unique and eco-friendly way of burial where the person lives on among the nature and takes a form of rebirth to be a tree after death.
Trees and plants are associated with the concept of rebirth, strength, immortality, and eternity for long. Many cultures around the world consider plants and nature sacred. They are often planted for joyous occasions like the birth of a child or marriage.
Memorial gardens are contractual lands that can not be logged or developed. So, a memorial tree flourishes on these beautifully landscaped lands for the family to spend time and reflect on the fond memories.
How Can Memorial Trees Help Us Cope With The Loss of Loved Ones?
Memorial trees are a beautiful and unique way of burying your loved ones and giving your heart an outlet to face the emotions that can be overwhelming and painful at times. Let us see how memorial trees can help you in your grieving process.
A Simple Yet Powerful Practice:
Planting a memorial tree might seem like a simple task. However, the action holds more meaning to it. Nature has helped many people deal with grief and loss. Combining that with the ritual of taking care of a plant is highly beneficial to the psyche of a grieving individual.
Seeing your loved one grow to be a tree after death is healing and gives a sense of closure that can be beneficial in the grieving process. As the roots grow out of the soil mixed with treated ash, you can see the loved one’s soul resting and flourishing in the trees, leaves, fruits, and flowers.
A Tangible Proof of Life:
Most people, who are grieving, are engulfed by a sense of emptiness. The realisation that they will never again hold, hug, or hear the voice of their loved one is heartbreaking and sometimes too painful to cope with.
Memorial trees and garden symbolises rebirths and offers tangible proof of life. You can take care, touch, and see the tree growing and flourishing.
A Powerful Serotonin Boost:
Spending time with the memorial tree and breathing the fresh air can give you a significant serotonin and endorphin boost. Serotonin affects our memory, appetite, and mood, while endorphins create a feeling of well being.
These two hormones can help cope with the depression often seen in individuals dealing with the loss of a loved one. Apart from this, nature symbolises the circle of life, which can help you put a hopeful perspective on human mortality.
Comfort for the Coming Days:
A memorial tree is not a one-time thing. It will be there for years to come, growing and flourishing at its own pace. You can come to visit your loved ones and reconnect with them from time to time.
It will be a place where you go to seek out comfort when the pain becomes too much to handle and on the days when you want to spend some time with them. By planting a memorial tree, you will always have a place to cry, laugh, remember, and feel comfortable whenever you need to.
Memorial trees not only offer a unique, dignified, and beautiful burial for your loved ones but also help you accept, heal, and recover from the loss. Grieving is necessary but painful. With nature, it can be a little less overwhelming.
