When Death Occurs

SHARE YOUR GRIEF with a relative, a close friend, a neighbor, your clergy or even a stranger. Grief is a natural force. It is okay to cry but it is not a requirement. Crying is a release of emotions which some need and others do not. It is neither a measure of love nor the lack of it.

FUNERALS provide a time and place to face the loss of a loved one. They serve as a statement that the loved one has died and your life is now changed. Without this time, it is easy to deny both the death and the grief that follows. Funerals provide an opportunity for both family and friends to say good-bye.

CHILDREN ARE PEOPLE TOO and excluding children who wish to attend a funeral only adds to the confusion they already feel. Instead, prepare them beforehand by discussing what they will see. Allow time for their questions and answer them honestly and briey. After the funeral, information available from your funeral director can help in correcting any misconceptions they may have.