A little stone with so much meaning

On 29 and 30 September 2026, we presented Beloved stones at the VTU Funeral Trade Fair in Gorinchem for the first time. It was a special moment for our family business. After months of preparation, we could finally show funeral professionals how our new farewell ritual works in practice.

Visitors saw a demonstration and took a stone with them to experience it for themselves and show it to families. We made valuable new contacts, and Julia’s pitch gave us the opportunity to share the story behind Beloved stones. Many visitors told us they had not seen anything like it before.

When we visited him that afternoon to say goodbye, the first thing he said was: come on, bring that stool and let’s sit outside on the balcony.

The balcony was less than two square metres. There were three of us sitting there. He could smoke outside, and he still wanted to, even though it was his lungs that had brought him to this farewell.

At a church service or a funeral at the crematorium, it is common to receive a memorial card or prayer card. A photo. Some words. A name. Sometimes a poem or a few thoughtful lines. A keepsake. Something to take home.

My mother has Alzheimer’s…

A sentence that still feels difficult to write. Because although the illness is now a large part of her life, she is so much more than that. She is not simply a woman with Alzheimer’s. She is my mother. A kind, caring woman. A grandmother. Someone who was always there for others. Someone who showed love through small gestures, through attention, through caring, through simply being there.