Against the bleak backdrop of devastation that results from loss of a child, there is one reliable source of starlight that helps to buoy the spirit. Twinkles of starlight come in the form of tributes that we sponsor, support, and participate in that honor the child’s memory and celebrate the child’s life. From the framing of a photograph to the forming of a foundation – doing things to honor our children who have passed away allows us to keep the children present in our lives, to sustain their memories, and often to do good for others in their names. For some real-life examples of tributes, see the most recent Tributes Posts that we have published.
Facebook Community Page
This Tributes to Lost Children Community Page on Facebook is a public place to share information on tributes related to our departed children and, over time, to develop an inspiring, panoramic view of wonderfully warm starlights of activity related to our kids.
If you have tributes to report on or if you would simply like to read about (and comment on) tribute activities reported on by others, just visit the Community Page and enter your information. We regularly review Visitors Posts and will often share the posts to the page’s primary stream to increase it visibility.
Tributes Digest
Starshine Galaxy Foundation also publishes the Tributes Digest™ – a free biweekly e-newsletter of highlights from this Tributes to Lost Children Community Page. The Tributes Digest provides a quick summary of activities honoring children who have passed away with links that allow a quick drill-down into additional content of interest. Sign-up HERE to receive the Tributes Digest on a regular basis.
Tributes to Lost Children (the Book)
Our interest in and focus on tributes to children who have passed away stems from research on the subject by Rod Mebane – one of the founders of Starshine Galaxy Foundation – that resulted in a book – Tributes to Lost Children – published in January 2016. Rod – himself a bereaved dad (of Emma, who died in 2011 at the age of 19). Rod was motivated to find out how other families have paid tribute to their lost children and, after conducting a survey, he shared back what 147 different families shared with him. In the introduction, he refers to the book as the “big story” that presents “a beautiful patchwork of activities stitched together by members of the bereaved community in a way that shows the deep and abiding love.”
This work has since spawned several interrelated activities.
Tributes Framework
The research and analysis done in preparation of the book Tributes to Lost Children revealed that tribute activity by bereaved families to honor their children who have passed away is motivated by one or more of the following reasons: 1) bereaved families want to keep the children present in their lives, 2) bereaved families want their departed children to be remembered, and 3) bereaved families want something good to come out of their losses. Read more about how this intuitive, elegant Tributes Framework organizes the many things that families do to celebrate their departed children.
Tributes Survey
The original survey that served to provide data for the Tributes to Lost Children book remains open, and individuals who would like to contribute their tribute-related experiences are invited to complete the online Tributes Survey (click to access). New information will be added to the cumulative knowledge base on Tributes to Lost Children, and reports on the data will be published from time to time.