Memorial Service – A special tribute
A Memorial service is an informal funeral held in honor of the deceased. It is normally held when there are no remains present, as in when the body has been donated to science, the departed was killed in combat, or simply because the deceased may have been living in another country. Memorials are also chosen by those who prefer not to deal with the pain of seeing their deceased loved one or even a closed casket.
Memorials can be either a religious service or a small or large scale public ceremony. They are commonly used when memorializing a public figure such as a significant leader, a celebrity, someone from the armed forces and such.
Memorials are gaining popularity for the following reasons:

Flexibility of time and budget:

 

• A Memorial is often held within a week of the death. However, if need be, it can even be postponed according to the family’s convenience, especially if the bereaved live in far off places and require a lot of time to reach the selected location for the memorial service, or if the relatives choose to wait for a significant day or a meaningful holiday to have the service.
• Expenses that are inevitable in a funeral such as a casket, transportation to a cemetery and embalming, if that is the custom, are all avoided when choosing a memorial service.

Less structured and more organized:

 

• In comparison with a funeral where there is a lot of formality, a memorial is usually less structured and unceremonious. People mix around and reminisce about the person, and honor his memories and discuss and cherish his best moments.
• With flexibility of date and time, people get a chance to work out more elaborate or important arrangements and other details like scheduling a member of the press to be there; if need be, speeches, flowers, music, etc. Therefore it can be more meaningful and enriching.

 

More unique and personalized:

 

• With no rigid guidelines or specifications, memorials offer a chance for relatives or friends to have a unique and personalized service for their loved ones.
• People who wish to may offer their services in honor of the deceased, maybe performing a song, reading a poem, giving a speech, basically commemorating whatever they remember and cherish most about their loved one in their own way. When people get to be involved in the planning and implementation, and do whatever they deem most contributory, people who feel entitled get a chance to express themselves at the event.

Mourning is a moving and profound experience and the ability to feel a loss, to mull over it and then to heal, and then to quietly remember and cherish the memories that will always remain is a deep and noble experience unique only to humans.
Sometimes, for those who have not had a chance to grieve, especially when they could not be present at the funeral, the grief can remain with them forever. That’s where a memorial can be helpful in bringing emotions to the surface and having them addressed. Friends and relatives get a chance to grieve, to lock away memories of the person at their best, and finally, to move on.
For life does go on, in spite of what we may think at that moment.