How Does a Funeral Help in the Grieving Process

Funerals are a service that helps family and friends of the deceased express their love towards the life that they shared.  It is a tradition that is dated back thousands of years ago, based on the foundation of rituals and family personalization’s.  Funerals are able to help people move forward as we openly acknowledge the reality of the death and move forward in the grieving process.  The funeral is a way for us to memorialize the journey of our loved one, bringing together a community to heal each other through the process. A funeral is a ceremony to represent an end of a life, but also a life shared with many people.  When family and friends come together and reminisce on the memories they had, it helps you move through the steps of grief.

First steps of the Eulogy

It has been proven, that creative writing or writing in general is a great way to release emotions and to help people overcome trauma or grief.  It is the same situation when people write a eulogy prior to the funeral.  When you are beginning to write the eulogy, you have a chance to reflect on all the positive memories and character traits that the deceased had, it helps bring an influx of positive memories.  

Religion

For many people, funeral services are dated back to rituals and beliefs. For many religions, there is the belief of an afterlife, which provides comfort that your loved one is continuing on in their journey.  Hymns, psalms and the sermon or homily offer comforting words to help you cope with this difficult time.   

Support in Others

This final point is sometimes the most important to help you move through the grieving process.  Funerals are a time where people come together and celebrate the life of the deceased.  Everyone in that room is experiencing some form of grief.   Share your fondest memories or even a funny story about the deceased to those around you, and being able to listen to other’s memories will help you remember the good times you shared with them.  Even being able to be a good listener to someone that is also struggling will help you through the grieving process.  Use that common grieving to help you get through your own grief.

If you have any further questions on the topic, please contact us at Arbutus Funeral Service.