Storytelling is a core part of how we connect as humans and every person has a story to tell. When observing life’s milestones — whether celebrating the joy of a 90th birthday or enduring the grief of loss — seeing memories shared by others helps us feel the warmth and support of community. Especially in times of transition, like when a loved one is moved into hospice or has passed away, the stories we tell are a way for us to continue feeling our person’s impact.

At LifeWeb 360, we invite you to come together with family and friends to celebrate someone you love. By sharing special moments, we hope you’ll find joy, connection, meaning, solace… and so much more.

Ways to Share Memories of Your Person

It can feel impossible to fully capture the depth of someone’s life in just words. Here are some ideas for highlighting what makes your person so dear in a variety of ways:

1. SHARE A PHOTO

Do you have some photos with or of your person you could share with others? Think about photos you might have on your phone, a digital camera, or printed photos saved in albums or photo boxes.

Oftentimes, the photos already shared on social media platforms are more “curated”, while the photos we have saved in other places can be more candid and capture normal, every-day moments. You might find many photos that other people close to your person have never seen before! 

Try uploading a photo to your person’s LifeWeb and sharing some background on who is in the photo, when the photo was taken, and a memory from that moment in time.

For some help in finding and uploading photos, click here.

2. Share home videos

You may have videos on your phone, but there may also be some home videos of your person stashed away on VHS or camcorder tapes.

If you don’t have box of old tapes, maybe there is someone who might. Think about that one parent from summer camp who was always running around with a camera and might have some childhood video of you and your brother. Or, maybe there was a neighbor who was handy with a video camera and has footage of your Mom as they were volunteering together at the community garden. Who might be those people in your circle who you could reach out to?

To share a video on your person’s LifeWeb, follow our tips here.

3. ASK A QUESTION

Since your person’s LifeWeb will be shared with others, think about using this as a space to ask questions to continue learning about their life and impact.

Some of the best discoveries and connections come from asking others to help identify someone in an old photograph or inquiring if anyone has the recipe for Nana’s famous rice pudding!

4. CREATE SOMETHING

Do you write poetry, play an instrument, draw cartoons, or have another way of expressing yourself? Memories shared on your person’s LifeWeb don’t need to be just narratives. Creating something can be a cathartic way to process your feelings and a creative way to showcase what makes your person unique.

5. COLLABORATE

If you have a mutual friend or family member, try working together to share a memory. You could get a small group of people together over video chat to record yourselves talking about your person or try using a shared Google Doc to co-write a memory.

6. COMMEMORATE

Your person’s impact will continue to multiply in the actions that their life has inspired, so think about the ways in which you are continuing to celebrate them!

Maybe you’re running a 5K in their honor or setting a place setting for them at your dinner table on their birthday. Take a quick photo and share to their LifeWeb to inspire others to join in.

7. SHARE MEMORIES BY YOUR PERSON

Have an email or funny text chain they sent you? A gift they gave your or a handwritten note they sent? Music, artwork, or writing they created? Sharing something your person has created can help to preserve their voice and perspective.

8. SHARE OFTEN

When writing a card or giving a toast, there can be a lot of pressure to “say the right thing”. But, the memories you share don’t have to be just the “big” memories or be perfectly curated. By sharing often, you can capture the little every-day ways that you’re thinking about your person. A photo, short memory, or even a message that says, “this reminded me of you” is perfect and meaningful! So, next time you see a commercial or hear a song on the radio that reminds you of them, feel free to share the small way that you’re thinking of them. Chances are that others are thinking of them, too, and will find comfort knowing that they are not alone.