Contributed by Info Guru Terri Wallace

The milestones and occasions that mark every life are cause for celebration, whether a marriage, an anniversary, the birth of a child, or a long life well-lived.

When you have to find just the right token to help celebrate and commemorate that life, consider one of these items … they are as unique as the person being honored:

10. Timeless Images

Pictures are supposed to be worth a thousand words…but there are sophisticated alternative to yet another grainy photo, such as an acrylic photo block. Long after the walls have been filled with photos, this artful image will serve as a lovely reminder of a precious moment frozen in time.

9. Artistic tabletops

Food is the heart of the home and the soul of most family, religious and holiday celebrations. So why not celebrate your special meals and everyday suppers with a beautiful table, featuring one-of-a-kind dinnerware? Now even a simple mid-week supper will become a way to celebrate life!

8. Customized Candles

Let your loved one shine their light on the world with a monogramed or customized candle. The gentle illumination cast from the candle creates the perfect setting to ruminate on all the quaint quirks of a loved one.

7. The Gift of Time

The best way to celebrate a life is to give the gift of time. And what better way to remember this than with the gift of a special timepiece? A pocket watch is elegant and (dare I say it?) timeless.

6. Treasure Chest

Memories make up a life … a million moments tucked away in the recesses of the mind only to be recalled with a whiff of a certain smell or the re-reading of a long since faded letter. A trinket box can be the perfect place to stash away those moments that make up a life so that, on some snowy evening when the house is quiet, the box can be taken down and those moments relived.

5. Family Jewels

Jewelry has long been associated with life’s milestones, and a charm bracelet with custom charms is a unique take on this tradition. The words of your heart can be etched in silver as a permanent testament to how much you care, and worn close to her heart when time and distance separate you.

4. Journeys Conjoined

Some life celebrations, such as a marriage, involve the joining of two lives; a gift that demonstrates this intertwining of two journeys is a thoughtful way to commemorate the occasion. A warm throw will tastefully pay tribute to their union while chasing away the winter’s chill.

3. Pennies for Piggy

What better way to celebrate a new life than to help plan for the new baby’s future? A colorful piggy bank makes a sweet addition to a nursery and also helps new parents to tuck away some money for their little one’s future.

2. Hats Off to You

After a job well done, faithful service, and valor in the line of duty, it seems fitting to take off ones hat to pay tribute to a life well-lived. A bronze fireman’s helmet, trooper’s hat, police officer’s hat, or soldier’s helmet can be bronzed to preserve their pride in their profession and keep alive their dedication.

1. Save a Life

Perhaps to most admirable way to celebrate a life is to help save a life. One way to do this is to commemorate the passing of time with the gift of a poignant and lovely calendar from Children’s Art. The calendars are offered as part of the M.D. Anderson Children’s Art Project Center, and purchases assist with their efforts to “make life better for children with cancer.”