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Monuments For the Cemetery - How to
Create a Personalized Memorial
By Roy Dixon
How do you want to be remembered? How do you want to
remember the ones you've loved and lost? A memorial
stone in the cemetery is the physical representation of
a life. It shouldn't simply be something to mark a
grave. My job, as a monument artist, is to help people
design a tribute to the ones they love.
So, how do we go about creating a personalized monument?
The first step is simply to make the decision to do it.
You may think I'm stating the obvious, but believe me it
can be really tough to take that first step. It is the
easiest thing in the world to wait until tomorrow... or
next week... or next spring. Now, I'm not saying to get
right out there and buy a monument. You have to be
ready. Don't be let yourself be pressured by family
members or pushy salespeople. You will know when it's
time, but you can't let yourself get into the mindset of
"I'll never be ready" because if you think like that,
you can talk yourself into believing it. The fact is, if
you wait a year to put a memorial stone in the cemetery,
the chances are about fifty fifty that you will NEVER
place a monument. Every month after that increases the
odds that you will have an unmarked grave until someone
else decides to do it for you.
The next step is to get some ideas. Look around in the
cemetery. Don't copy someone else's stone, but you will
be surprised how quickly ideas start to come. Let your
mind wander a bit. Some ideas might come to you as
you're falling asleep. You could be taking a shower,
watching a movie or cooking dinner. Sooner or later, if
you keep your mind open, things will fall into place.
Now, this is the tricky part, keep your mind open to
suggestion. I have had people come to my studio who have
had every aspect of the stone designed to the letter.
The problem is, some of the ideas won't work and they
are disappointed. Leave some room in your mind for the
artist's ideas. All you are looking for is a starting
point.
Finally, you must choose an artist to do the work. This
can be tricky. Remember one thing when choosing the
person to do the work... the artwork will only be as
good as the artist. Also, make sure that the person you
choose actually does the work on the stone. Many
monument companies will just take your ideas and farm
them out to the lowest bidder. In fact, many monument
companies don't do ANY of their own work.
If you have any questions you can visit my website or
call me directly. All the contact information is there.
Whether you want me to do the work or not, I am here to
help. |
