3 ways to honor the legacy of a family member on Memorial Day

The holiday’s meaning often gets lost amidst long weekends and cookouts, but we’ve got easy ways to remember loved ones who died in service.

family history, remember lost loved onesDawn M. RoodeMay 23, 2025how to honor a veteran on memorial day, recording military vets oral history, stories from military heroesComment

Missing a loved one this holiday season?

Dawn Roode offers up four suggestions for further reading (and listening) for anyone who, like her, is missing a friend or family member during the holidays.

dawn's musings, remember lost loved onesDawn M. RoodeDecember 19, 2024holiday grief, remembering lost loved ones, sharing stories about lost loved onesComment

To read or not to read? How to handle a deceased family member’s personal letters

Discovering a stack of handwritten letters can feel like winning the family history lottery—but is it always the right thing to read (or share) them?

dawn's musings, family history, remember lost loved onesDawn M. RoodeMay 27, 2024is reading my ancestor's letters an invasion of privacy, is it wrong to read letters from someone who died, should i read someone else's personal letters, are letters always valuable for family history Comments

3 Tribute book ideas that honor lost loved ones

Go beyond a memorial slideshow and honor your lost loved one in a more permanent way. These three ideas for tribute memory books are easier than you think.

remember lost loved ones, book ideas & inspirationDawn M. RoodeMarch 11, 2024ideas for memorial tribute books, easy ways to honor deceased relative, how to memorialize someone in tribute bookComment

Wish you were here, Mom

When Mother’s Day is hard due to feelings of loss, allowing ourselves to linger in our memories may help (and, yes, hurt). A tribute made in grief, and love.

remember lost loved ones, why tell your stories?Dawn M. RoodeMay 12, 2023healing grief through remembrance, Christmas memories, sharing stories about lost loved ones Comment

How I’ve gotten to know more than 50 people I’ve never met this year

How lucky I am to "meet" your loved ones through the tributes you and others share in their honor! The stories that memorialize them live on for generations.

remember lost loved ones, dawn's musingsDawn M. RoodeNovember 7, 2022lost loved ones memorialized in tribute book, remembering different aspects of those who have died, celebrating family members who have passedComment

Who (or what) are you missing this holiday season?

I hope you'll take comfort in these personal stories of vulnerability and loss during the holidays. (Sharing memories about loved ones is always a good thing.)

family history, remember lost loved ones, why tell your stories?Dawn M. RoodeDecember 14, 2020Christmas memories, holiday memories, storytelling for healing griefComment