Page 20 - Oshea Funeral Guide Final
P. 20

service to the family at a later date.                   (grandparent,       aunt,     uncle)     they
          A commitment of service can be                           should be given the option to attend.
          something as simple as cooking them                      However,  if  it  is  not  appropriate  for
          dinner, or offering to clean up their                    your child to be there and if you feel
          house, any of the “little” things that                   they will cause a commotion, leave
          may be neglected while a family deals                    them with a babysitter.
          with death. Make sure you provide a
          signed card so the family knows who                      Be afraid to remember the good
          gave the gift.                                           times -  funerals are obviously a
                                                                   time of grieving and mourning, but
          Keep in touch - you may feel that the                    remembering the good times helps
          family needs their space and time to                     with  the  healing  process.  Sharing
          grieve, but a simple phone call or                       a funny and appropriate story is
          note after the funeral lets the family                   acceptable, and, in some cases exactly
          know you care. With social networking                    what the deceased would
          leaving a quick note is as simple as a                   have wanted.
          click of a mouse. The months following
          a  death  is  when  grieving  friends  and
          family need the most support.                            Understanding Grief
                                                                   The death of a loved one, friend or
          Don’t:                                                   family member often puts us in touch
          Bring  your  cell  phone  -  your  phone                 with our own thoughts and feelings
          ringing will be highly inappropriate                     about mortality. All of a sudden
          and will cause a disturbance, so turn                    we realize how quickly life can end.
          any ringers or notifications off. Even                   It is normal to feel out-of-control
          better, leave your phone at home or                      and overwhelmed. Realize you are
          in your car, a funeral is not the time to                grieving.
          be texting or checking your messages.
                                                                   The first step towards regaining a
          Allow your children to be a distraction                  sense of control is to understand
          - from a very young age children are                     grief. Grief is a physical, social,
          aware of death and if the funeral is                     emotional, psychological and spiritual
          for someone that was close them                          reaction to loss. It is natural, normal


      Page 20 - O’Shea Funeral Homes
   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25