I lost my 22 year old son in June and his 4 year old daughter is staying the night tonight and when I went to tuck her in she said she had thought of something she forgot to ask Santa for. I asked what and she replied "I forgot to ask him for something nice to put on my daddy's grave" We don't live real close to a lot of shopping and I am not sure what homemade thing we could have her mom set out from santa for her. She mentioned a nice picture of herself for her daddy but how do we keep that from being ruined in the weather? Any ideas?
Thank you for the wonderful ideas. I asked my dad to make something in his wood shop like a cross or something nice. I love the handprint ideas and such. We already made a stepping stone for him a couple months after he passed. I was looking for something Santa can bring more then something she makes, because that is what she asked for. Her mother says that while it isn't right for a 4 year old to have to ask Santa for something for her daddy's grave, that is how she is honoring him now. She is always looking for things to take out to his grave and we go when we can, although it being winter, it isn't easy to get in the cemetary since they don't plow it unless they have a burial. Winter in Wyoming isn't easy.
Thank you again for the ideas, We will use them.
Have her do a handprint on a vase, and then the vase will always be there to hold flowers when people visit the grave.
That is so sad, I am so sorry for you loss. The picture is a great idea I think personally. You could always laminate it and weather proof it, and then frame it in a plastic frame (metal would rust) and put it out there.
I am so sorry for the loss of your son. What a precious little girl that you have with you now! The stepping stone is a great idea! Have her little hand print in there and a message like I love you Daddy! She could help make it with her mom or with you. My cousin passed away when he was 18 and there have always been a number of different items at his grave from family and friends. Picture that are laminated and put there never seem to last that long, but you could always replace it down the road.. On special thing that is there is a solar light. This could also become a tradition, that santa leaves something each year to bring to dad! I hope that you have a blessed holiday season!
Hugs to you and your very special granddaughter. When my father died my boys were very young. We made mitten cut outs using felt, attached them to a long piece of yarn. We put their name on each mitten. When we went to the cemetary they wrapped the yarn around the grave stone to keep grandpa warm. Santa could bring mittens for dad or her or the thing to make them. If you don't have felt use an old sweater, sock or any fabric will do. Substitute ribbon or sting for the yarn.
First, I am sorry for your loss. I think your best bet is the laminating. Another idea is to make like a garden stone with plaster and then put the laminated picture in it or maybe her hand print or both. Another idea is a memorial ornament. I bought one the year my mother died and display it at the top of my tree each year. You can buy them online or I got mine at the christian bible book store. But she make something that could be nicer so that she had a small token at home - maybe made from a picture of him. Good Luck and God Bless you and your family.
If there are any of daddy hugging her/ playing with her you have a couple of options:
- Laminate it to keep it dry and put it behind UV protectant glass to keep it from fading.
- Get it printed/etched onto metal or stone (each fairly expensive, or at least, a lot more expensive than laminating). This one you might save for a later date.
If doing the picture, I'd suggest getting it printed with a large white border so that she can write "For my daddy, love SuzyQ" on the border.
Great big hugs for you mama, It's a loss that even imagining breaks hearts.
There's a terrific family movie that involves a little girls wish to send a message to her Daddy in Heaven. With adult help, she ends up putting a message(s) in a bunch of helium balloons and releases them at her Daddy's grave, therefore, sending a message to Heaven. It seems like someone in Alaska or a long way away, finds the message and somehow locates the little girl. I can't remember all of the details or the name of the movie, sorry. You could do something similar. Also, my grandkids put a ceramic or metal statue of a frog on their great-grandma's grave because she loved & collected frogs.
If your pinted out a picture of her and had it laminated at your local school or library( our Library only charges like 75 cents for a letter size laminating sheet) , you could possibly afix that to a cord or put it in a flower arrangement on one of those "picks" and leave that out there.
What a sweet little girl. Such a sad situation, prayers for you and yours this time of year!
Have the picture laminated. A lot of libraries do this or possibly an office supply store. What a wonderful idea!
