CLEANING GRANITE MEMORIALS
A granite memorial, like any material exposed to the elements, will require certain maintenance. Never use cleaners with abrasives or cleaners with chlorine to clean polished granite. Do not use waxes or polishes to “brighten” up granite. Any ammonia based cleaner like Glass Plus or Windex will restore the natural luster to the surface of the stone if used on a regular basis.
Regularly, once a year-- perhaps on Memorial Day, an anniversary or birthday, you can use a mild solution made of three to four tablespoons of an automatic dish washing detergent and one quart of water. Use a stiff bristled nylon brush (no wire brushes) and wet the stone with clear water before applying the detergent solution. It is very important that you rinse properly and remove all of the detergent from the memorial and from the grass around it after you are finished washing. For a more thorough cleaning you can use a pressure washer with up to 2000 lbs of water pressure. Take care not to get the solution in your eyes by wearing appropriate eye protection.
HOW WILL YOU BE REMEMBERED?
A Guide to Epitaphs
The process of deciding what to put on your own memorial can be both difficult and unsettling. Each of us has a unique and complicated past, so it's difficult for most people to think of one phrase, quote, or saying that encompasses the entirety of one's life. Reflecting on the circumstances of your ultimate demise and the details surrounding that event can be unsettling while we are alive, but it is very important.
First, what to say?
There are many different ways to answer this question, but one helpful way might be to consider what's at your center, your core. What are you living for? What drives you to be the person you are? What drives you to be the person you want to be? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
For some of us, this might be your religious faith. For others, it might be your family. Or it could be the natural world, your country, your career, or something else. Whatever it is for you, consider including something about that on your epitaph. At the end of your journey, you will want to be remembered for who you were at your core.
Second, why is deciding this now actually helpful?
Obviously, there's the benefit to your loved ones, who won't be left in the dark on how you want to be remembered. During an emotional and stressful time for them, you'll give them one less thing to worry about.
But there's also a benefit to you now. What might that be?
We often let ourselves get consumed by our more immediate daily routines of life and lose sight of the things we care about most. So, taking an hour or two to think through what's at our core and what drives us can actually help remind us who we are and how we should be living differently. This might lead to some important changes in your life.
We all deserved to be remembered rightly, so start the process for yourself today!