Most of us don’t like to think about funerals, because we feel sad at saying goodbye to someone we care about. A sense of loss and emptiness settles over the service amid sounds of tears and sniffles, and for good reason. Saying goodbye to someone is difficult, especially if they passed unexpectedly.
Yet, funerals don’t have to only sorrowful occasions where everyone feels bad about saying goodbye to a loved one. Funerals can also serve as uplifting memorial events that ease our wounds and inspire hope and healing.
Share Happy Memories
Funeral homes, like Damar Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, understand that each person is different, and their services will be as well. Consult with the funeral home director about the events you would like to include. They might be able to provide a podium and microphone, if needed, so that anyone who wishes can share brief memories filled with fun, humor, and love. Celebrating the departed one’s life in these upbeat ways will make everyone feel better and more fully appreciate the person they knew and loved.
Include an Uplifting Speaker
The eulogy is an important way to commemorate your passed loved on and their impact on those around them. Many families lean on a spiritual leader, such as a clergy official from the place of worship where they attend, to give a short but meaningful message about the loved one’s life and the power of hope in a future reunion and eternal life in a spiritual state. Those that share these beliefs or who are inspired by them will appreciate the comfort offered in this way to those who mourn the loss of a loved one. The hope of seeing the departed again someday can be very reassuring to those who are grieving. If your loved one wasn’t religious, have a family member or friend give the eulogy instead.
Play Buoyant Music
Whether played softly in the background or sung live during key moments of the service, beautiful and stirring music soothes the soul. Music may be pre-recorded for the event, or it might be performed live by musicians and singers. Often, the music is inspirational and uplifting in keeping with the overall theme of the commemorative memorial. If your loved one came from a musically talented family, they might want to put together an arrangement to perform.
End on a Positive Note
Conclude the service with a memorable activity connected to the loved one whose life is being celebrated. Some groups of mourners have released cages of doves, while others send clusters of balloons into the sky. Activities like these probably need special permissions from local officials. But you can recite a favorite poem of the departure or read a short farewell speech with accolades that looks forward to meeting again.
Traditionally, funerals bring mourners together to say goodbye to a loved one. But nowadays, families and friends also celebrate the loved one’s life and memories, as funerals are, after all, for the living. Add celebratory moments to the next funeral you have to plan to help ease everyone’s grief and provide them with peace and happiness to take home with them.
