Death and dying are not topics that anyone really wants to think about.  The sadness and hurt of losing someone close to you can be unbearable at times.  Unfortunately, it is a part of life and, whether we want to or not, we all have to face it in some way or another. 

Whether it is someone close to you and your family that has passed or someone that you respect and admire, it will take time to accept their death and to heal.  I have faced the deaths of close relatives many times in my lifetime and I can tell you from experience that it isn't easy at all.  There are so many emotions that you go through after learning that someone has died.  You may even feel like you are losing your mind at times.  But, after a while you realize that life must go on.  That you must go on living your life and you do your best to carry on without them. 

So it warms my heart to see these decals that I have been seeing.  I just think these are a wonderful idea and a great way to honor the person who has died.  Some people in the town where I live are paying tribute to loved ones that have passed away by having custom memorial decals made.  They say "In Memory of", then the individual's name, and then their birth and death dates.  They have these decals on the back window of their vehicles. 

Some of these vehicles have used a camouflage-colored print on their decal and appear to be in their mid-20s. I am guessing that these individuals lost someone in the war and I immediately respect them for their sacrifice.  I have seen some decals where the age of the person is just a small child and my heart goes out to them because you know how hard it is to lose a child.  I have seen decals in pink with a pink breast cancer ribbon beside it, and you know that someone lost their battle with breast cancer. 

Whatever the reason for their death, I believe that this is such a wonderful way to heal.  It is also a way to always remember that the person was loved and will be missed. 

I have seen tributes to those who have passed away in other ways also.  Baseball, soccer and other teams will have patches made and attach them to their jerseys to honor a teammate who has died.  High school football teams will honor students who have passed away by placing special decals on their helmets in their honor.  This past weekend, the Oakland Raiders placed decals on the back of their helmets that said simply "AL".  This was in honor of their owner, Al Davis, who had passed away at 82. 

My point is that facing the death of someone is not easy at all, but by taking some time to find ways to memorialize them can help with the healing process.  If you have lost a loved one, consider having a memorial decal made for yourself.  It is such a wonderful way to heal and you will be honoring them at the same time.