HONOURING our angels
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To Celebrate A Life Of Someone So Dear
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​Sometimes, when you’re browsing the internet, you come across something that touches your heart in a way you weren’t expecting. For me, it was an article called “40 Special Ways to Honour Your Child”, published in Still Standing Magazine. It spoke of tender and creative ways to celebrate the life of someone so precious. What I loved most was how it began—with the reassurance that there is no “right” or “wrong” way, and no time limit when it comes to honouring your child.
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Reading those words stirred something in me. Questions I’ve often carried rose to the surface: Have we done enough? Could we have done more? What other ways could we find to honour our baby angel? But in the end, I remind myself, there isn’t one perfect path. There are only the ways that feel right for you and your family, and that is more than enough.
I reached out to others and asked them: “What have you done to remember and honour your little one?” The kindness and honesty in their replies touched me deeply. Along with my own experiences and ideas I’ve gathered along the way, I’ve put together a list of ways—big and small—that can help us celebrate and remember.
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Not every suggestion will feel right for everyone, and that’s okay. Take what speaks to your heart, adapt it in your own way, or create something entirely new. What matters most is that it’s meaningful to you.
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​And if you feel like sharing, we would love to hear the special ways you’ve honoured your angel—those beautiful, tender acts of love that keep their memory alive.
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HERE IS SOME SPECIAL WAYS TO HONOUR YOUR LOVED ONE.
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​Never Forgetting – Perhaps the most honest way any parent can honour their child is by keeping them safe in their heart. I know it might sound simple, maybe even strange, but for me it’s about finding balance—holding on with love, even through the ache.
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​Create a Place – Many parents find comfort in making a space at home for their child’s special things. It might be as simple as a framed photo, or as big as a cupboard filled with treasures you can’t bear to let go. Either way, it becomes a sacred place that keeps their memory close.
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Welcoming Home – One thing we’ve always done is keep one of his tiny baby coats hanging by the front door. It may sound a little unusual, but for us, it just feels right. Seeing it there reminds us that he is always welcome, always part of our home.
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Memory Shadow Box – We already have a memory box filled with the things most precious to us, carefully kept away for quiet moments. But I also love the idea of a memory shadow box—placing a few of those treasured items in a frame to display with pride.
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Giving It Back to an Angel – A small ritual of mine is picking up a white feather when I find one, kissing it, and then gently blowing it back into the wind. I like to imagine it finding its way back to my angel.
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Special Ways Celebrating Their Special Days – Just because they aren’t here with us in the physical world doesn’t mean they aren’t with us in our hearts. Mark their birthday, or any other special occasion, in whatever way feels right—whether that’s quiet reflection or a big celebration. I have friends who would have a trip to their father grave and have a small birthday picnic just to celebrate his life and that he is always in their hearts
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Giving to a Stranger – A dear friend once told me that on her daughter’s birthday, she would buy a coffee for a stranger. A small act of kindness, done in her child’s name. I love this idea—these ripples of love reaching others.
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Setting Off Fireworks – One family I know celebrates their son, who was born near Bonfire Night, by sending sky rockets into the night sky each year. Watching them burst with colour feels like sending love upward to him.
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Releasing a Balloon – We have released a baby-blue balloon each year on the anniversary of our son’s passing. I know it isn’t the most environmentally friendly choice, but there is something deeply comforting about watching it drift higher and higher, until it disappears into the horizon.
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Sailing a Lotus Lantern – We once dreamt of starting a lantern festival on a river, where parents could write messages to their angels, light the lanterns, and let them float across the water. Traditionally, these lanterns are said to guide souls. Even imagining the sight brings peace.
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​Light a Candle – Every year, on October 15th, parents and families around the world light candles at 7pm for the Wave of Light, honouring babies gone too soon. For one hour, the world glows with their memory.
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​Do a Butterfly Release – Butterflies are a timeless symbol of freedom, love, and new beginnings. Releasing them in honour of a child can feel like setting a prayer into the sky.
Get a Tattoo of Your Child – Many parents choose to carry their child’s memory in ink. Whether it’s a name, a date, or a symbol with deep meaning, tattoos become living memorials etched into the skin and heart.
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​Collect Little Somethings – Sometimes we stumble across small things that feel like signs—feathers, coins, pebbles on a beach. Some say these are gifts from angels. Collecting them can become a gentle ritual, a way of holding on to the moments that remind you of your child.
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​Random Act of Kindness – Giving back in your child’s name is always a gift. Whether it’s a meal, a coat, or even just a smile, kindness has a way of softening hearts—yours and others’.
​Setting Up a Charity or Non-Profit Organisation – After our loss, I felt drawn to create a non-profit to support other parents walking a similar path. It gave me a safe space to talk about my feelings while also helping others. If you feel called, you might start something of your own, or join a cause already close to your heart.
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Fundraisers and Donations – Many families choose to raise money in their child’s name and donate it to charities or organisations that hold meaning. It’s a way of turning love and grief into hope for others.
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Setting Up an Award or Scholarship – We created the George Isaac Loy Award, given each year to a child who has achieved something remarkable in a short time. Though George’s time with us was brief, he filled our lives with joy. Creating this award allows us to share his light with others.
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Looking After a Christmas Tree – One of our traditions is placing a small potted Christmas tree at our son’s grave. After the holidays, we take it home, nurture it, and bring it back each year. It’s a living cycle of remembrance.
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Plant a Tree – Some families plant a tree every year in their child’s memory, creating a growing woodland of love. Others decorate a special tree on anniversaries. These living memorials become a sanctuary for wildlife and a place to visit year after year.
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Dedicate a Tree – We also arranged for a tree to be planted in George’s name through the Woodland Trust. It grows among others, part of a living landscape that will stand for generations.
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Naming a Star – My older children once named a star after their baby brother. Now, when we look up at the night sky, we know a tiny piece of the heavens carries his name. It is a beautiful reminder that love reaches beyond earth.
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Buy a Piece of the Moon – Some parents choose to dedicate a small part of the moon, naming a crater after their child. Each time they look up, they can whisper, “I love you to the moon and back.”
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Giving a Gift – One family we know donates gifts each Christmas, the ones they would have given to their daughter, to a family in need. In this way, love is passed on.
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Sending a Message in a Bottle – For those drawn to something symbolic and romantic, writing a message to your angel and releasing it into the sea can be a deeply personal ritual.
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Write a Letter to Your Angel – Many parents find comfort in writing letters to their child. Some keep them safe, while others burn them, letting the ashes rise like prayers into the sky.
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Sponsor an Animal – Zoos and sanctuaries often run adoption programs. Sponsoring an animal in your child’s name can be a lasting tribute. Personally, I love elephants—they never forget.
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Adopt an Animal – Shelters are full of animals waiting for love. Adopting one in memory of your child gives a second chance to a life in need.
Sponsor a Child with the Same Birthday – Some parents choose to sponsor a child through charities like World Vision, especially one who shares their angel’s birthday. It becomes a bond of compassion and hope.
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Adopt a Child for Christmas – Families in some communities “adopt” a child in need for the holidays, making sure they are remembered with gifts and kindness. It’s a beautiful way of honouring your own child through giving.
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Have a Family Day – Some parents choose to dedicate a day each year—often their child’s birthday or another meaningful date—to family time. It might be a trip to the park, a visit to an amusement centre, or even a holiday. One parent told me, “I don’t want the days to be sad. Instead, I try to make them joyful, filled with family fun. My surviving children have some of their happiest memories from those days, and that’s what I want most for them.”
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Make or Buy Personalised Jewellery – Jewellery can be a beautiful and personal way to keep your child close. Some families choose charms with initials or birthstones, while others have handprints or even ashes worked into a piece. Whatever form it takes, it becomes a keepsake that carries their presence with you.
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Donate Enrichment Toys – One family we know gives toys to their pets in memory of their daughter. It’s a small, sweet way of honouring her while spreading joy.
Have a Bereavement Bear Made – Some parents have teddy bears created from their child’s clothing. Hugging something soft and familiar can be an incredibly comforting way to keep their memory close.
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Dedicating a Bear – Charities like Aching Arms allow families to dedicate bears to honour their baby’s life. In return, you receive a bear that another grieving family has dedicated, a reminder that you are not alone in your loss.
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Build-a-Bear – One family took their children to Build-a-Bear to create a bear in memory of their brother. They named it “Jacob” and find comfort in cuddling him on difficult days.
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Order a Molly Bear – Molly Bears are weighted to match the exact weight of your baby. Holding one can provide a deeply moving sense of closeness.
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Give a Gift – Donating toys and games to children’s hospitals, especially during the holidays, is a wonderful way to keep your child’s memory alive while brightening another child’s day.
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Start or Join a Support Group – Sometimes, the greatest comfort comes from sharing your journey with others who understand. If there isn’t a group nearby, you might even start one. Many parents are waiting for a safe place to talk.
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Paint a Picture – Creative expression can be incredibly healing. Painting doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to carry meaning. A splash of colour, a symbol, a scene—whatever speaks to your heart.
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Take Photos – Photography can be another way of capturing closeness. A sunset, footprints on the sand, wildflowers, or butterflies—images that remind you of your angel and their quiet presence in the world.
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Display Your Work – Some parents choose to share their art, photography, or writing with others. Exhibiting your work can inspire, connect, and even help others reflect on their own journeys of love and loss.
Write a Poem – Words have a way of releasing what the heart holds. Writing a poem for your child can be both an act of love and a way of letting your emotions breathe.
Publish Your Work – Whether on social media, a blog, or a bereavement site, sharing your words can bring comfort to others while keeping your child’s memory alive.
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Keep a Blog – Writing your heart out can be deeply healing. Some parents keep their blogs private, while others share them publicly to connect with and support others. Either way, it becomes a living journal of love.
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Write to Us – We are always honoured to include your angel’s name on our memorial wall. If you’d like to share your story, we promise to respect your wishes and hold your words with care.
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Speak Their Name – I talk about George the same way I talk about my living children—because I am proud of him, and he will always be part of my family. Speaking your child’s name aloud keeps their memory alive.
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Be a Voice for Others – Some parents find purpose in advocacy, working with hospitals or charities to improve bereavement support. Sharing your story may feel difficult, but it can also bring hope and change.
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Join a Convention – Attending a baby loss or bereavement conference can be daunting, but it can also be powerful. Our son’s story was even read in Parliament during a debate on child loss—hard to hear, but worth it if it spares another family the same heartache.
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Get Running – I once promised myself, “When he would have taken his first steps, I will run a marathon.” Running in your child’s name can be a way to carry them with you in motion and spirit.
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Write Down Your Memories – Scrapbooking or journaling can help preserve both the big and small details—photos, tiny keepsakes, and the words that carry your love.
Get a Custom Portrait – Some artists can create portraits that include your angel with the family. These images can be deeply moving, a vision of togetherness you can treasure.
Donate Memory Boxes – Many hospitals welcome memory boxes for bereaved parents. Providing them in your child’s name can be a gift of comfort to others walking the same path.
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Collect Candles – Scents often bring memories rushing back. Whether it’s wildflowers, cinnamon, or freshly cut grass, lighting a candle with a familiar fragrance can feel like being close to your child.
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Order a Personalised Memorial Candle – A candle with your child’s name or a meaningful design can become a keepsake for special moments of remembrance.
Plant a Garden – Planting flowers, bushes, or trees creates a living space of memory and renewal. Roses, buddleia, or anything that attracts butterflies can make your garden a place of peace and connection.
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Join a Charity Walk – Events like the March of Dimes Walk allow families to walk together in honour of children gone too soon, raising awareness and support along the way.
Order a Certificate of Life – In the UK, some organisations provide certificates for babies lost before 24 weeks. Though brief, every life deserves acknowledgement.
Make Something Personal – Handmade tributes can be deeply healing. A friend crocheted two blankets for her son—one to keep, one to send with him. I’ve filled journal pages with words and drawings just for George.