When someone we love passes, the people around us often want to do something. But flowers wilt. Cards get tucked away. What if we could give a gift that stayed?
Here are 7 meaningful, memorable ideas you can give to a grieving friend, or request for yourself, that don’t just acknowledge a loss, but celebrate a life.
1. Turn their ashes into a cremation diamond
This is a gift that means something. It says, “I see how special they were.”
Turning a loved one’s ashes or hair into a diamond is a stunning way to keep them close, literally and symbolically.
Whether you design the jewelry yourself or gift the diamond journey experience through Eterneva, it’s a beautiful way to help someone keep their person near. Every part of the process is personal, healing, and shared step by step.
“People I tell about your company have never heard of such a thing and are waiting to see the finished diamond. Thank you for doing what you do to help a person like me to immortalize a lost love one.” — Glen
This presents a unique opportunity to get creative with the design and presentation of a piece of memorial jewelry.
- Did you mother love rings?
- Maybe your best friend always wore a chain around his neck.
- Were your partner’s bright blue eyes the most striking part of them?
You can honor your deceased loved one in a beautiful way by creating a piece of jewelry that will keep them close to your body and heart whenever the memento is worn.
2. Create a custom memorial scrapbook or photo album
Memories fade unless we hold onto them, and a physical scrapbook or photo album can be a powerful gift to give someone who’s grieving.
Ask friends and family to send their favorite photos. Add handwritten notes, favorite sayings, inside jokes. You could even leave blank pages for the recipient to fill in on their own time.
If you're long-distance, help them set up a private online album or memory-sharing site (like Facebook) where people can upload and share photos.
3. Gift a tree planted in their memory
Living tributes are a beautiful way to honor someone’s life. You can gift a tree planting through national parks or local conservation programs, often with a certificate or personalized message included.
For a more hands-on experience, you could gift a gardening kit with seeds or bulbs of their favorite flowers, along with a small memorial plaque or stone.
It’s not just symbolic. It’s healing. Studies show nurturing a plant can improve mental health and reduce stress, especially during grief.
Denise Gray has done just about every memorial option out there for her son, Austin. And with every single one, she shares updates on Facebook, keeping her connected to the community who loved her son and support her so much.
4. Make a playlist or gift a record of their favorite songs
Music holds memory like nothing else.
Gather the songs they loved, or the songs they shared. Create a playlist and pair it with a handwritten note about why each one matters. If the recipient prefers something physical, consider burning a custom vinyl or CD, or printing lyrics and framing them.
One friend of Eterneva said it best:
“I still tell him those three things I used to tell him every night. I love you with all my heart and soul, you're my world and I'm very, very proud of you.” — Phil, about his late husband Alan
Music becomes a way to keep talking to them.
5. Donate to a cause they cared about
When words feel inadequate, doing good in someone’s name feels right.
You can make a donation to a charity your loved one supported, or help a grieving friend set up a recurring donation in their honor. It’s an ongoing way to show that their impact lives on.
Not everyone has the budget to give money. Volunteering time in their name is just as powerful.
“To prepare for the seven [breast cancer awareness] walks I am undertaking this year, I have been training every day since I lost Karen. That’s the easy part frankly,” says Stephen about his late wife who passed from breast cancer, and who participated in breast cancer awareness walk for 14 years. “The hard part is raising the money needed to participate in the walks. Each walker is required to raise $2300 per walk. That means I’m personally required to raise $16,100 to participate in the seven walks.”
Helping someone fundraise in memory of someone they love is a gift with lasting impact.
6. Cook their favorite meal or gift a “memory meal” kit
Was there a dish they always made? A treat they never skipped? Food is nostalgia on a plate.
You can cook a full dinner in their honor and invite others to join. Or package the ingredients, recipe, and a story behind the dish and give it as a gift.
“There was this pizza place next to his house. He always ordered always a medium size mushroom pizza and a two liter of Coke. His girlfriend didn’t even eat pizza! So, he’d guilt me into finishing it off with him,” says Natalia about her late father. “That was our thing –– eating and laughing.”
Food brings us back. And sometimes, back is exactly where we want to be.
7. Write a letter and help others do the same
Sometimes, the best gift is permission.
If you’re not sure what to give someone, invite them to write a letter to their person. You can gift a beautiful journal, a custom stationery set, or a simple card that says, “I know you still talk to them. Here’s a place to do that.”
You might even start it for them. “I remember the story you told me about... I hope writing it down brings you close.”
Art, poetry, letters, and even short voice notes can become sacred. It’s not about the perfect words. It’s about the intention behind them.
“I journal every night, and I write a letter to him every night,” says Phil about his late husband Alan. “And I still tell him those three things I used to tell him every night before we went to sleep: ‘I love you with all my heart and soul, you're my world and I'm very, very proud of you.’ I still tell him that every night.”
Final Thoughts
When remembering a loved one, memorial gifts don’t need to be somber or standard. They can be joyful, colorful, personalized, and full of life, just like the person they’re honoring.
At Eterneva, we believe that grief deserves more than sympathy. It deserves celebration.
So whether you’re giving a diamond, a playlist, a pizza night, or a planting kit, what matters most is that you’re keeping the story going.
Because they’re still with us. Just in a different way.
