For the last few years, my father would take my son to recycle aluminum cans. Every week or two they would load up a bag of cans and drive down to the recycling facility. It was great bonding time for the two of them.
They would usually walk away with less than $10, that money was my son’s money to spend however he wanted. They would usually go and buy a couple toys, have lunch and spend well over the $10 he earned recycling!
My father passed away unexpectedly on December 29th, 2018. Over the last few months my son has frequently talked about how he misses “Pa” and especially their trips to recycle the cans. For him, that was a time just the two of them spent together and it was now gone. That got me thinking about a way to allow him to continue to grieve but also have a daily reminder of his grandpa.
We decided to make a ring with a piece of aluminum sandwiched inside.
We started by grabbing an aluminum can out of the bag, cutting, sanding and prepping. He liked that it was the same exact cans that he would have recycled with Pa.
This was our first attempt at a memorial ring. My son still has it and wears it every day. In the pool, in the shower, in the dirt, literally everywhere. He has told countless people the story of the ring.
That’s why we started Memorial Woodworking.
We want to help others have a simple memorial for their loved ones. We work together on every project, and it’s always great father-son bonding time.
