The funeral is a tradition in our culture that allows us to mourn the loss of a loved one. Without a memorial for the loved one, the grief process does not begin in a productive way. It allots us a certain amount of time to mourn freely, but unfortunately, the funeral service is only the beginning of the grieving process. It is important for families to get involved by making picture collages of the loved one and collecting memorable items to place around the funeral home during the service. Trying to get the entire family involved can be difficult, specifically the men, but it is important to engage them. The grief process does not end as soon as the funeral is over.
A difficult time to be without a loved one is during the holidays, especially during Christmas, for those who celebrate this holiday, in which our funeral home holds a service of remembrance. The families that have lost a loved one are invited to get together at a local church for a beautiful service where each family is presented a gold dove ornament with the name of their loved one engraved on it. This is especially popular with the families that our funeral homes serve, because we are recognizing the pain that they are going through.
Our funeral directors open themselves up for the grievers to be able to discuss what they are feeling during times of grieving, during and after the funeral. Allowing grievers to show emotion for their loved one is important because we live in a society which tells them that it is not acceptable to grieve at other times during the year.
