Meredith, thank you for sharing your post.

I think if I'd had a gratitude journal or love list when my mom died, it might have been a life raft to cling to while I bobbed in the ocean of grief. Most especially focusing on the things I loved about my mom that I would carry forward in my heart.

I love this line, as well: I can pay tribute to my grandma’s life by living my own life to the fullest—a life that doesn’t take anything for granted and celebrates the wonderfully good things I’m blessed to have.

I think living our lives to the fullest is a beautiful way to honor the dead. 

Meanwhile, the Love List is one way to find a silver lining in the sadness.

A friend of mine wrote about another on her blog this fall: http://theflamingoroom.blogspot.com/2009/09/staying-open.html
My darling friend (who was grieving the sudden death of her mother) ... is hunkering down with a heavy heart. What she said next though, humbled me: "I'm trying to listen for what it is I might learn from this loss."