Have you ever been walking through a park and noticed a bench with a lovely epitaph or engraving dedicated to a person (or several people)? Perhaps it has a message to them, or it could simply list their names and important dates. If you have, then you are already familiar with memorial benches.
For a long time, I always wondered how they came to be. Who was making them? Could anyone do it, or was it restricted to just politicians or something like that? Well, today I have those answers for you. Consider checking out this page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_bench, to get a brief run-down first, and then continue on reading!
What is Their Purpose?
Personally, I think that the most important aspect of this topic today is to determine why these benches are created and dedicated in the first place. As you can probably guess, it is largely to create a memorial for a specific person or group that deserves that recognition. Now, it could be for a variety of reasons.
Some of the typical ones are being a general good Samaritan, being a fundraiser for the park in question, or even marking the site of a historical event (be it major or not). Really, though, anyone can be remembered and memorialized. At the end of the day, that is the primary goal – to bolster cherished memories and to honor a person’s life and legacy.
How Does it Work?
Now that we have a better understanding of what their purpose is, we can shift to how we can create one for our own loved ones! Really, the process is fairly easy. The first thing that you will want to do is decide which park you want to install the bench.
Note that some do not permit this, so that is why I mention it at all. Take care to research your options and weigh the pros and cons of their specific stipulations versus what you are looking for. While memorial park benches are a lovely gesture, the simple fact is that certain parks do not allow them.
Thankfully, most of them do. Once you have a location secured, you can start to work on the specifics of the bench. Some prefer that each dedicated one is uniform, so make sure that you like the style before you fully commit. On the other hand, there are plenty who allow you some creative freedom.
From there, it is going to be up to you to find a manufacturer or seller for the bench itself! Now, as you may already be aware of, there are plenty of them to find both online and in some brick-and-mortar locations. Typically, though, the former is the preference these days. You will be working with them to create the perfect memorial for your loved one.
Are They Worth it?
Another question that many folks seem to have surrounding them is whether they are worth the cost. To some extent, that is not really for me to say. One person might find it to be a loving tribute, and someone else could view it as a way to throw money away. Personally, though, I tend to lean towards the former camp.
While they might be a tad expensive, think about some of the benefits that can come from it beyond the maintaining of a legacy. As this article demonstrates, , parks are a vital part of our infrastructure. Improving them on any front can do wonders. Obviously, this includes installing more benches.
So, you can consider a public work as well as something done for private reasons. Talk about a win-win, right? Beautification is another aspect at play here, as well as enrichment for everyone involved. Sure, it brings recognition to the person that it is dedicated to, and that is important. However, because of the ways that it benefits the community, we can say that it is hardly a selfish pursuit to have one commissioned.
Of course, it will be up to you to decide if this is something that you consider worth it. The money spent often goes to noble causes such as planting trees or keeping the park open at all. So, if that is a cause that you want to support, this might be a way to do so while also honoring a person that you care about!
Hopefully, this article has helped to shed light on a topic not talked about very often. While it may not seem like something overly important, I find that educating ourselves on anything that we can to be a worthy pursuit. Whether you were here simply for that reason or to get more information about how you could have a bench dedicated to someone, leave here today with a better idea of what to expect!
