Although being responsible for a loved one's cremated remains is certainly a great honor and responsibility, it can also be an overwhelming one. You may have the urge to keep the remains close by even though you know your loved one wanted them to be distributed. And if your loved one didn't leave specific instructions for what to do with them, you may find yourself beset by a confusing array of options. Here are three activities for dispersing the ashes that may help you down the road to closure. 

1. Create a reef memorial

Several companies offer the option to place cremated remains in a concrete memorial that can then take its place as part of a growing coral reef. Some of these companies will create a custom memorial, while others offer standardized shapes. Either way, this is a meaningful option if your loved one spent a lifetime helping environmental causes, studying marine life, or pursuing a scuba diving hobby. You'll be able to rest a little easier knowing that your relative will be able to posthumously help beloved marine life for generations to come.

2. Sprinkle the ashes in meaningful locations

If you had a long history with the person in question, you may find that revisiting some of the spots where you created your best memories can help calm the inner turmoil, especially if you bring along a few ashes to distribute at each location. This may be easier if you choose "natural" or "wild" locations, as you're less likely to be allowed to scatter ashes in the city. Or for another symbolic gesture, you could scatter the ashes at the spot where you first met, bringing your relationship full circle.

3. Saving some ashes to create a memorial you can visit

Many people find that they can manage their grief better if they have a physical location they can visit in remembrance of their loved one. Whether it means keeping the ashes in your home somewhere and surrounding them with fresh flowers daily or burying an urn in a cemetery and visiting it weekly, creating your own personalized version of this can simultaneously help you keep your loved one's memory alive while also helping you realize that on some level you have to let them go.

Remember, none of these options are mutually exclusive. Unless your loved one provided instructions that the remains were to be kept together, you can divide them and create multiple meaningful memorials. 

For cremation services, contact a funeral home such as Frederick Brothers Funeral Home Inc - Main Ofc.