There are seasons of life when “later” stops feeling like a guarantee. A diagnosis. A sudden death. A pet’s empty bed by the door. Or sometimes it’s quieter than that—an aging parent who begins to downsize, a family conversation that turns from vacations to wills, a drawer opened to find an old photograph that makes time feel sharp. In those moments, people often reach for meaning in objects, because objects are what we can hold when life stops making sense.
That instinct is older than any of us. In art and spiritual practice, memento mori—Latin for “remember you must die”—has long been a way to make mortality visible so life feels more precious. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, memento mori appears as a symbolic trope and meditative practice reminding us that earthly pleasures are temporary. Today, the symbols still echo in new forms: memorial jewelry worn under a shirt, a small urn on a bookshelf, a keepsake shared among siblings, or a carefully planned water ceremony that returns ashes to the sea.
This is where art history and family choices meet. When you’re exploring cremation urns, pet urns, or cremation jewelry, you’re not shopping in the usual sense. You’re choosing the shape of remembrance—what it will look like on a mantle, how it will feel in your hand, how it will fit into your home and your story. And if you’re in the middle of funeral planning, it helps to know you have options, and that there is no single “right” way to carry love forward.
Why these symbols show up again and again
Walk through a museum and you’ll see the same motifs repeating across centuries: skulls, extinguished candles, wilting flowers, timepieces, soap bubbles, and books. They’re simple objects, but they carry a steady message: time passes, beauty fades, and life is fragile—so live with intention.
In European art, this message often appears through vanitas still lifes. Britannica describes vanitas as a still-life genre that flourished in the Netherlands in the early 17th century, built from objects symbolizing the inevitability of death and the transience of earthly achievements. The National Gallery explains that vanitas paintings stage “human achievements” alongside reminders of mortality—like a skull or a snuffed lamp—so the viewer feels the contrast between what we build and what we cannot control.
What’s striking is how familiar this feels to families today. A home after a death becomes its own still life: a set of keys by the door, a favorite mug in the sink, a sweater still holding a shape. When someone chooses keeping ashes at home, they are not freezing the past. They’re creating a small, steady point of contact—a place where grief can land, where memory can be revisited without needing permission.
Skulls, hourglasses, candles: what the motifs are really saying
The skull is the most obvious symbol, but it isn’t only about fear. In vanitas paintings, the skull is blunt honesty: the reminder that none of us are exceptions. The hourglass and timepieces take that honesty one step further. They don’t threaten; they measure. They make “someday” visible. Even the candle—lit, guttering, or extinguished—acts like a quiet narrator, marking a life’s warmth and its inevitable ending.
These motifs were never meant to be decorative in a shallow way. They were meant to be practical. A memento mori message is less “be afraid” and more “be awake.” It’s why the symbolism still resonates when families face modern questions like what to do with ashes or how to choose a memorial that feels faithful to a person’s life.
Sometimes families want symbolism that is direct: a skull charm, an hourglass image, a phrase engraved into metal. Other times they want the symbolism to be quiet: a warm wood urn that feels like a piece of furniture, a small keepsake tucked into a drawer, a necklace worn only on anniversaries. The point isn’t the symbol itself. The point is the permission it gives you to remember—and to keep living.
From museum still lifes to modern memorial keepsakes
In the last few decades, cremation has become a more common choice for families in the United States, which has changed what memorialization looks like. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate was projected to reach 63.4% in 2025, more than double the burial rate of 31.6%, with cremation projected to continue rising over time. The Cremation Association of North America similarly reports U.S. cremation at 60.6% in 2023 (provisional), describing a “deceleration” period where growth continues but slows as rates climb.
What that means in real homes is simple: more families are asking how to build meaning without a traditional grave marker as the default. The answer is not one thing. It’s often a combination—an urn for the home, a small keepsake for a sibling, cremation jewelry for a spouse who needs closeness, and a future plan for scattering or burial when the time feels right.
If you want a calm starting point, Funeral.com’s guide on what to do with ashes walks through the most common paths families take, without assuming you have to decide everything immediately.
Choosing cremation urns in a way that feels like love, not logistics
The phrase cremation urns for ashes can sound clinical, but the decision is usually tender. An urn is not just a container; it is the “where” of remembrance. Some families want a central place in the home. Some want something discreet. Some want a piece that looks like art. Others want the simplest, most secure option possible because the emotional weight is already heavy enough.
Many families begin by browsing a broad range of styles and materials and then narrowing down based on what feels right. Funeral.com’s cremation urns for ashes collection is a helpful starting point because it shows the range—wood, metal, ceramic, contemporary, classic—without forcing you into a single definition of “proper.” If you want more guidance, the Journal article how to choose a cremation urn is a steady walkthrough of materials, placement, and the small decisions that matter (like lid type and where the urn will live day to day).
Capacity is one of the most practical questions families face, and it’s also where people tend to second-guess themselves. If you are planning to divide ashes among multiple keepsakes, or you want a memorial that fits a smaller space, it may help to explore small cremation urns and keepsake urns first. Funeral.com’s small cremation urns for ashes collection is designed for partial remains or compact memorials, while the keepsake cremation urns for ashes collection focuses on shareable, personal portions—often chosen when adult children, siblings, or close friends each want their own way to remember.
When “small” is the point, not a compromise
There’s a quiet wisdom in choosing something smaller. Keepsake urns can make remembrance feel portable and personal, especially when a family is spread across states, when a spouse is not ready to place ashes anywhere permanent, or when someone wants a memorial that doesn’t dominate a room. A small urn can sit beside a photograph, a book, or a candle—modern echoes of the same still-life language artists used for centuries.
Pet urns and the kind of grief that shows up in ordinary moments
Pet loss can be uniquely disorienting because the grief appears in routine: the missing footsteps, the quiet at feeding time, the leash that stays on the hook. Families often want something tangible and gentle, which is why pet urns for ashes have become an important part of memorial planning.
If you’re choosing pet cremation urns, the best first step is to let the relationship guide the style. Some people want a simple box that feels peaceful. Others want something that reflects personality: a photo frame urn, a paw print design, or a figurine that captures the look of a beloved dog or cat. Funeral.com’s pet cremation urns for ashes collection offers a wide range, and the more specific pet figurine cremation urns for ashes collection is often where families land when “I want it to feel like them” is the main goal.
For families who want to share a portion of ashes, or keep a small memorial on a desk or nightstand, pet keepsake cremation urns for ashes can be a comforting choice. The Journal’s pet urns for ashes guide is especially helpful if you’re unsure about sizing, because it explains common capacity guidelines and how families approach personalization when emotions are still raw.
Cremation jewelry and the modern way of carrying meaning
If a skull in a painting makes mortality visible, cremation jewelry makes love portable. A pendant that holds a small portion of ashes can be deeply grounding—especially in the first months, when the absence is physically felt. Some people wear their memorial every day. Others keep it for hard days, travel, or anniversaries. And some prefer jewelry that holds a tiny amount but looks like an everyday piece, not a public signal.
On Funeral.com, families often start with the broader cremation jewelry collection and then narrow into cremation necklaces through the cremation necklaces collection. The difference matters because comfort and wearability matter; the “right” choice is the one you’ll actually reach for when you need it.
If you’re new to this option, the Journal’s cremation jewelry guide explains types, metals, engraving, and the practical details of filling and sealing. Those details are not small. When a piece is meant to travel with you, security is part of peace of mind.
Keeping ashes at home: making a private ritual in a public world
Keeping ashes at home can be a deeply normal choice, and it doesn’t require a specific belief system. For some families, it’s temporary while they plan a scattering. For others, it’s permanent. The “right” approach is the one that supports your grief rather than pressuring it.
There are also practical considerations: where the urn will be placed, how you’ll handle visits from children or pets, and whether you want a memorial that blends into the home or stands out as a focal point. Funeral.com’s guide to keeping ashes at home walks through those questions with a steady, respectful tone, including what families do when multiple people want access to ashes or when a move is likely in the near future.
In memento mori art, the objects are arranged intentionally. You can do the same. A simple shelf with a photograph, an urn, a candle, and a flower can become a living memorial—less about death, more about the love that continues to shape your days.
Water burial, ash scattering, and returning to the elements
Some families feel strongly that ashes should be returned to nature—scattered on a beloved trail, placed in a biodegradable urn for a garden burial, or released during a sea ceremony. If you’re considering water burial or burial at sea, it helps to understand the legal and practical framework before the day arrives.
In the United States, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that the general permit for burial at sea does not allow placement of human remains within three nautical miles from shore, and it also notes that non-human remains (including pets) are not allowed under that federal permit. Because families deserve clarity, Funeral.com’s Journal article water burial and burial at sea translates those rules into real-world planning, so the day feels meaningful instead of stressful.
How funeral planning connects the past and the future
It’s easy to think of funeral planning as paperwork. But planning is also a form of care. It reduces panic later. It clarifies wishes. It gives families permission to grieve without guessing what someone “would have wanted.” And for many people, planning is the most practical expression of memento mori: acknowledging death so life can be lived with fewer loose ends.
If you’re preplanning, it helps to think in layers. What matters most to you: a gathering? a place? a ritual? Do you want cremation and a memorial service? Do you want an urn chosen ahead of time, so your family isn’t trying to interpret your taste while grieving? The Journal’s how to preplan a funeral guide is a practical companion when you’re ready to map decisions without trying to solve everything at once.
Cost questions also deserve directness, especially when a family is balancing grief with budgets. If you’re asking how much does cremation cost, the most honest answer is that it depends on location and services—direct cremation, ceremony, viewing, merchandise, and transportation can all change the total. Funeral.com’s cremation cost guide is designed to help families understand the moving parts so you can compare quotes confidently and avoid surprises.
Living with the reminder to live
A skull in a painting and a small urn on a shelf are not the same thing, but they share a purpose: they tell the truth. They make love visible by acknowledging loss without letting loss define everything. In that sense, memorial choices—whether you choose a full-size urn, small cremation urns, keepsake urns, pet urns for ashes, or cremation necklaces—are not just about what you do after a death. They’re about how you keep living with what remains.
If you’re early in this process, it can help to start gently: browse options, read one guide, and let your next step be small. Whether you begin with cremation urns, explore keepsake urns for sharing, look into pet urns for a companion you loved deeply, or consider cremation jewelry for closeness you can carry, the goal is the same: to choose remembrance that supports your life, not just your grief.
Memento mori, at its best, is not a dark idea. It’s a tender one. Remember you must die—so tell the truth, say what matters, and make room for love to keep taking shape.
