Today would have been my brother's 22nd birthday today. It's been nearly two years since he was taken from this world and I miss him every day. I'm still learning to cope with his death and dealing with his birthday/the upcoming holidays. I was wondering, how do you deal with birthdays/holidays? What do you do to honor your loved ones who have passed away?

This year I visited his grave and brought him a big balloon. He used to make his own music, some of which was uploaded online. I listened to his songs today for the first time in two years. Last year, I made a donation to an animal shelter in his name since he was a big animal lover. I'm sure we'll also be doing that this year.

What do you do to celebrate your loved ones life? Do you celebrate?

My father in law passed just before Christmas a few years ago. He was always a fiend for peanut butter cookies so the husband and I would bake him up huge batches of them for the holidays, it was his favorite christmas present. After his passing, we still bake up a small batch to take out to his graveside and leave at the headstone. I'm sure the squirrels think he's the most awesome one out there, since they get to enjoy his cookies.

One of my exes (he was still one of my best friends after the split) overdosed a week before my birthday a few years ago. Every year on my birthday I try to get more introspective than usual. Ask myself if I'm living my life in a way that would make my ex proud of me, since he was helping me with my anxiety and other problems.

That’s a nice way to remember your father in law. I’m picturing those squirrels gobbling up the cookies you and your husband bring. I think it’s nice when you’re not only honoring your loved one’s memory, but that someone else is also touched by that memory.

Losing someone makes us put things into perspective and start to look at what is important within our own lives. I think that’s a great way to honor his memory.

Its been 7 years since my father passed. I was 17 when he went so I took it pretty hard. I usually visit his grave on his birthdays and have lunch with him. He had opened his own restaurant and was the head chef so of course he loved cooking. He was able to teach me a few of his recipes before he passed so I usually whip up one of the dishes he taught me and just sit next to his grave and reflect on when he used to be around.

My grandfather died almost 3 years ago. I still have nightmares of him being in the emergency room, struggling to pull out his IVs and then getting the news of him having terminal Leukemia. I had to make the choice of either let him go that night, or keep his shell of a body alive for another week. I like to think I made the right decision, but it still haunts me. I do try to think positive and wear his watch that he wore for 15 years, even up to the day before he passed. There isn't much more you can do, past that. You can't live for someone just because they die. You live for you and remember that all they want for you is your happiness. That's what I think, anyways. Hope that helps you in your struggle.