05/15/2026
The fingerprint heart ❤️ Without even noticing, this has incidentally become a little trademark of mine with many families I care for. It is such a simple gesture; I take two ink fingerprints in such a way that they form the shape of a heart and then frame them in one of those mini frames from Michael’s craft store. I’ll wrap it up in tissue paper with a small piece of string to make a bow, and present it to families often on the service day, or if I’m going to see them after services.
There are variations of this I have done as well, and it can even made into a ritual within itself. Sometimes, if the deceased individual has siblings that are still children, I will just do their ink print on one side of the heart, and then invite their sibling to do their own print on the other side so that together their two finger fingerprints form the heart shape. It becomes a symbol to remind them that their love is always together.
For this case in particular, it was actually one where I honestly did not think I would successfully get any prints, but I met the adult child several days after doing the transfer and my heart just ached for the sadness and guilt they carried for being away during their parent’s death. I was determined to get them. Sometimes we need a tangible reminder of the love we have for one another on this earth. This serves exactly that. And it is so simple that sometimes I think it is silly, but then I get text messages from my coworkers like this and it reminds me how valuable something so simple can become.
*Disclaimer: The fingerprint heart shown in the image here is one of a family member of mine, and not belonging to the case described above it.
