Losing a loved one can leave a vast hole in our lives. After the memorial service and the interment, there is still one more task: designing your own headstone. Most modern headstones are granite, an igneous rock that comes in a variety of colors. In the past, other materials such as slate and marble were favored. Granite does not wear as easily as slate. Even marble was found to run in the rain eventually.
Headstone design is a way for us to reach closure when a loved one passes. Reflect on the life of the loved one who has passed. Think about the significance of who they were and the life they lived. Open yourself to that moment of inspiration when the proper design will make itself known to you. It is recommended that you take some time to do this properly. Headstones are a permanent and expensive purchase so make sure it will look exactly as you want it to look.
The headstone should reflect the personality of the deceased. It is their grave, after all. Leave them in death with some of their favorite things in life. If they were avid nature lovers, maybe an inspiring landscape motif would be appropriate. Or maybe they spent a lot of time in their flower garden and would like to be remembered by groups of roses, or lilies. You might also choose a wide open forest as a background image.
Flowers can be appropriate, either as a main motif or a minor element. Floral designs are also symbolic. Each flower has a historical significance, a traditional meaning handed down through time. Choose carefully! You do not want a flower that sends the wrong message.
Religious people have a wealth of their own symbols to choose from. Even if those symbols are not prominent, they might fit in as an accent on your main design. For example, an angel, a chalice or a cross might be an appropriate representation of their religious beliefs.
After you settle on the graphical elements, it is time to add the words and emblems. These are usually about three or four inches in height, inscribed in granite using sandblasters. Emblems can be anything: animals, military credentials, sports, music or all kinds of vehicles. Choose them to represent something unique about your loved one, something meaningful from their life.
You also need to decide on an epitaph. You can borrow one from other gravestones or come up with your own. Favorite poems, or sayings are common. So are religious verses. Oftentimes, the deceased themselves will determine what their headstone should say. It is usually wise to follow their wishes. The name of the deceased and the dates of birth and death will go here, too.
Now you have the motif, the emblems and the epitaph. In fact, you have just used common principles to design a granite headstone for your loved one. Make a sketch of your design and go over it one more time. Once it is inscribed in stone, it is impossible to get it back off again! Send the design off to your monument company and in a few weeks you will have an everlasting tribute to the one you loved, a unique headstone you designed yourself!
