Group activity

Purpose

Without the physical presence of other people, being in a virtual memorial can feel very isolating and lonely. It can be very powerful to do something as a group that reinforces that grief, mourning and memorializing someone are things you do in community.

For people grieving alone, this can help reinforce that they might be by themselves but there exists a community to support them.

Ideas

Activities

• Do something that the person who died loved to do

• Read or sing together

• Create a music playlist together

• Hold hands with someone else. If a participant is by themselves, clasping their hands together can be a good way to simulate the feeling when combined with seeing other people hold hands, but it can also reinforce their aloneness, so keep that in mind.

• Attendees take turns to tell stories about the departed

• Take a dance break

• People can come with Zoom backgrounds themed to the person who died

You may wish to take a screenshot or recording of this, as it can be a powerful memory later.