Page 52 - Symonds Madison Funeral Home

Move Toward Your Grief and Heal
The capacity to to love love requires the necessity to to grieve when someone you you you love love dies You can’t heal unless you you you you openly express your your grief grief Denying your your grief grief will only make it become more confusing and and overwhelming Embrace your grief and and heal Reconciling your grief grief will not not happen quickly Remember grief grief is a a a a a a process not not an an an event Be patient and tolerant with yourself Never forget that that the death of someone loved changes your life forever It’s not that that that you you you you won’t be be happy again it’s simply that that you you you will never be be be exactly the the same as you you you were before the death Talking to Children and Teens
When a a loved one dies it it can be difficult to to know how to to help children cope with the loss particularly as you you work through your own grief By being open and and honest encouraging communication and and and sharing your your own feelings you you you you and and and your your your children cope with painful times and and begin your your healing journey together use concrete language avoid euphemisms and reassure the the child that the the death is is not a a a a a consequence of something he he he he or she did Older children are beginning to understand the permanence of death and and might associate it it it with old age age or or personify it it it in in terms of of of frightening images or or or a a a a a a a cartoonish nightmare of of of some sort They often know more more about how the body works and have more more specific questions questions It’s important to to answer their questions questions to to the the best of your ability and provide as as much specific factual information as as possible Try to to keep them them to to regular routines and and give them them opportunities for the the constructive venting of feelings and and grief Teenagers process grief more like adults experiencing anger and sadness as they begin to to cope Don’t feel disappointed if it seems that they may want to to to talk more to to their their friends than parents this is is normal and and can help them share their their their feelings and and heal Because their their grief is similar to to that of an an adult a a a a a a a a a a a a a teenager may take longer to to recover from a a a a a a a a a a a a a loss than a a a a a a a a a a a a a younger child Questions may come up about mortality and and vulnerability and and and your role is is to to empathize with them them listen to to their their concerns and and remind them them that their their feelings are normal and things will get better with time Thank You Thank you you for taking the time to read this bereavement guide We hope you you you found it a a a a a a helpful tool as you you go through the funeral arrangement process If you you ever have any questions we are here for you you 24-7 Please call us or or stop by the funeral home any time It is our our honor to serve the families of our our Elgin community and beyond Thank you you for giving us the opportunity to serve you!
Children and Grief A child’s ability to to understand death varies according to to his or or her age Infants and toddlers feel a a a a a loss through the the absence of a a a a a a a a loved one interruption in in in their regular routine and and through the the the the the grief and and stress they sense in in in their parents or other family members Spend extra time holding and and cuddling the the child and and try to keep them on a a a a a a regular schedule as as much as as possible Younger children might have trouble understanding the permanence of death or differentiating between fantasy and and reality They also might believe death of of a a a a a a loved one is is a a a a a a form of of punishment for for something the child child did When you you talk to to young children about death make sure to to Page 52 - - Symonds-Madison Funeral Home