The Information Center is a resource for information related to planning a funeral, creating an online memorial, finding bereavement or condolence poetry, writing a eulogy and coping with grief and sadness. We encourage you to peruse the article in this area to find basic information on these and many more topics.
As much as our culture tries to avoid the topic, death is something we all must face. The older one gets, the more important it is to start an open, honest discussion about certain end-of-life preparations. How will you spend your remaining days? Who will take care of you as you approach the end? What sort of legal matters should you get taken care of before it is too late? What is the easiest way to help friends and family cope with your impending death? These are all important questions to ask yourself when you are dealing with end-of-life preparations.
The death of a loved one places many difficult, painful responsibilities on the bereaved. From funeral arrangements to wrapping up financial loose ends, the burden of losing a friend or family member can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, creating and sending out funeral notices and obituaries doesn’t need to be an added stress factor. Understanding what these documents are, what is typically included in them, and why they are important helps cut out one more potentially trying aspect of planning a funeral or memorial service.
The holidays can be a stressful time for many people. Those that have recently lost a loved one, or are marking the anniversary of the death of a loved one, may find the holiday season especially difficult. The best way to cope with holiday grief is to mentally prepare oneself for it. There is nothing you can do to prevent holiday grief from happening, and you shouldn’t aim for that. Grief is a natural and healthy part of life. But there is some advice you can heed in order to quell overwhelming sadness that may come with the holidays.
It is just as important for friends, family and other loved ones to help the grieving during the holidays as it is for the bereaved to take steps to help themselves during this time of year. Bereaved individuals need the support, encouragement and time of others during this stressful season to help sooth their worries, comfort their souls and encourage their hearts. Those that are grieving a lost loved one during the holiday season will typically try to maintain the same level of activity as they have in the past. However, they may not be mentally and physically ready to do all of the decorating, attend all of the holiday parties and do all the holiday shopping that had done in previous years. It is important that their friends and family help them take care of themselves and alleviate their concerns about meeting expectations.
A long, drawn out death can be very draining on the family of the loved one passing away. All parties involved can and probably will feel both emotionally and physically exhausted by the time the person has passed. But being aware of your own impending death does have a benefit –being able to pre-plan the funeral or memorial process. Planning a funeral takes a lot of time, focus, and attention, and trying to plan one immediately after the death will only add unnecessary stress to an already difficult time. Pre-planning your own funeral may seem grim and upsetting, but it is far easier for your friends and family than trying to make arrangements when the grief of your passing has just set in.
Death and loss are unfortunate realities of the human condition. Everyone, with very few exceptions, will experience the loss of a friend, relative, or loved one at some point in their life. Grief is a common, expected, and necessary reaction to loss, and the way one expresses and experiences his or her grief will determine whether that person’s grieving process will have positive or negative long-term effects.
It isn’t fun to plan a memorial service or funeral. After all, attendees of the event are likely to confront powerful emotions as they say their final farewells, recall fond memories, and see others who will sorely miss the deceased. One doesn’t have to be an enthusiastic organizer to see the benefits of a well-planned ceremony, however.
In this age of eternal hurry, the world around us seems to be in a state of never-ending change. Every few months, a new must-have gadget wows the technorati, a new irresistible pop star steps into the limelight, and a new diet fad becomes all the rage. But despite our constant cultural shifts, certain traditions live on. We still celebrate milestones with family and friends. We still rely on loved ones during difficult times. And flowers are still a beautiful, graceful way to express your sympathy for a friend who has experienced loss.
The eulogy and funeral elegy are often staples of many different kinds of memorial services. Most people almost exclusively associate a eulogy or elegy with the passing of a friend or loved one. While it is true that the modern versions are indeed most often used to lament someone’s death, the two distinct literary styles have a long and surprising history.