Monthly Archives: March 2023

Tangible Ways to Help a Grieving Friend Pt. 2

You want to be helpful to someone who is grieving after a loss and a cremation service in Clarksville, TN, but how? You don’t want your attempts at being helpful to be a burden on them in their time of loss. You most likely want to be helpful in a concrete way. Here is part two of this blog, offering even more meaningful ways you can show up for someone in grief and be genuinely helpful.

Number one is to help them rest. There’s a lot do to when someone dies, from planning the service to dealing with end-of-life legalities. Help out by taking things off their plate so they can really rest. Try taking over hosting responsibilities for out-of-town funeral guests, performing household chores, or doing some childcare for an afternoon. Yard work is an excellent way you can help out, as everyone needs their grass cut at some point. From making lists to actually doing the shopping, running errands takes a lot of physical and mental work. Taking errands off their plate would be very helpful in their time of grief.

Homecooked meals are genuinely comforting, but cooking takes time and energy – both of which are tough to come by in grief. Cook at their house while keeping them company or bring over an easily heated, freezer-friendly dish like a casserole, soup, or lasagna. You can also include a little treat in your meal delivery, such as a pie, cookies, a book, or even a pair of cozy socks. Keep reaching out and ask what they need. Grief doesn’t end after the funeral or cremation. Even after you’ve attended the service, said your condolences, brought a meal, and run some errands, keep reaching out. They’ll always appreciate the support. Sometimes the best way to provide exactly the help they need is to ask them what they need. Be specific, saying something like, “I’m free on Wednesday, what can I help you with?” or “Can I bring over dinner on Thursday night?” The simple act of going somewhere when in grief can be overwhelming. You can also offer to drive them places or simply go with them wherever they need to go so they’re not alone.

Don’t forget to be flexible. What they need might vary from day to day. Yesterday, they might have wanted to be left alone, but today they might need a shoulder to cry on and an ear to hear their pain. Be flexible and willing to provide what they need as each moment passes. What about gifting them a massage? Physical touch like massages can be very helpful when someone is grieving. Gift them a massage gift certificate so they can rest, relax, and have some time alone.

We are here to help if you want more tips on supporting someone in grief or more information on Clarksville, TN cremation services. We are honored to assist in any way we can during your time of loss or preplanning. Please call or visit us today to learn more.

Concrete Ways to Help a Grieving Friend Pt. 1

One of the best ways to comfort and support someone going through a loss and a service at a funeral home in Clarksville, TN is simply being there for them. Here are some ways you can be there for someone suffering from a loss.

To begin, be as normal as possible. They might be sad, but they can still talk about the weather, share jokes, get hungry, need alone time, need to be pushed out of their shell at times, cheer on their sports team, care about politics or the environment or what’s going on in the gossip columns. Treating them normally will show them respect and love in a meaningful way.

To be there for someone, you oftentimes just need to physically be there for them. Try saying, “I’m coming over Thursday, what would be a good time?” It’s easy to want to say the right thing to someone who is grieving, but usually the best thing to do is just listen. If they’re not ready to talk, support them in silence. And don’t forget to let them cry. Crying is a natural and even important part of grieving. Let them cry, or even cry with them. It’s also important to not wait to be asked. Take some initiative and don’t wait for them to ask for help or company. Use your best judgement, but offer up assistance whenever you can. For example, mow their lawn, come over and make dinner, or just call to chat. Don’t try to understand and don’t judge. Even if you’ve been through a similar situation, they are unique and have a unique experience.

Be available and be gentle. They might need help, a shoulder to cry on, or just someone to talk to at odd times, so make yourself available and remind them often that you are available. Loss is not a good time for tough love, so be gentle with them. However, be careful not to go overboard and turn your gentleness into condescension. They are still the same person you’ve always known, so use your best judgement on how to interact with them. Don’t feel burdened to try to make sense of everything for them, or to completely understand what they are thinking and feeling. Grief looks different for everyone, so don’t put your idea of what they should be doing or saying on them. Instead, meet them and accept them where they are, wherever that may be. Similarly, be lenient for perceived offences or slights. For example, let it go if they don’t call you back right away.

Finally, just ask them what they need. Sometimes, you just won’t know how best to support them unless you ask. They might not know themselves, or they’ll tell you exactly what they need.

We are here to help if you want to learn more about being there for someone in grief or Clarksville, TN funeral homes. We have the expertise needed to help guide you through a time of loss. Call or visit us today for more information and keep an eye out for part two of this piece.

Final Disposition After Military Services

Final disposition is what happens to a body after death, including after a military service or cremation service in Clarksville, TN. Keep reading to learn more about final disposition and the various methods used for after cremation.

To begin, there are many nontraditional final disposition methods available, from water cremation and body donation to body preservation and more. You are welcome to explore these nontraditional methods to see if they would work for you or your lost loved one. After cremation, there is natural burial and cremation with ash burial. A natural burial is similar to ground burial except that the body is not embalmed or placed in a traditional casket. Instead, the body is placed in the earth with a few simple wrappings to ease natural biodegradation. The whole point of natural burial is to return the body to the earth in a simple, clean way. In a cremation with ash burial, the body is cremated and the cremated remains, or ashes, are placed in a cremation urn. The cremation urn is then buried in a cemetery plot inside a cremation urn vault to protect the cemetery grounds.

Ground burial at a cemetery is the most traditional disposition method in the United States. In this method, the body is kept intact, generally embalmed, placed in a casket, and then buried in a cemetery. While there are many options available for cemetery burial, cemeteries are becoming crowded. You can also bury remains above ground. Above ground burial in a mausoleum is when the body is entombed above the ground in some kind of crypt or sarcophagus. These above-ground burial types are rarer than most other final disposition options, due to limited space and far greater cost. A lawn crypt is a vault that is partially underground and holds one or more caskets, usually a family or husband and wife pair. They generally have a few steps down to enter and can often be completely covered with grass.

You can also choose final disposition methods like cremation with inurnment. You can place cremated remains inside cremation urns and then house the urn inside a, above-ground permanent resting place called a columbarium. The columbarium houses urns in niches that are either in a freestanding structure on the cemetery grounds or an outdoor wall with niches that you can visit anytime. If you don’t want to bury or house cremated remains, you can also scatter them. The most traditional scattering method is scattering the ashes in a body of water such as a river, lake, or ocean. You can also scatter the ashes in a location special to you or the deceased, such as a favorite park or landmark. Don’t forget about housing cremated remains at home, whether on display or somewhere private.

Do you want to learn more about final disposition or Clarksville, TN cremation services for military servicemembers? We are here to help. Call or visit us today for more information on our services or what we can do for you in your time of loss or preplanning?

Make a Memorial for Your Veteran in Your Home

Losing a loved one leaves behind more than just memories, especially when the lost loved one was a veteran of our armed forces. You’re left with photos, clothing, trinkets, letters and more – so use these items to create a memorial space in your home! It’s important to honor your loved one in whatever way feels best to you after a veteran’s service at a funeral home in Clarksville, TN.

It’s important to honor your lost loved one in whatever way feels best to you. We Here are some tips for creating a lovely and respectful memorial space in your home to honor your lost loved one. To begin, choose a space. The number of keepsakes and decorations you want to use in your memorial should help determine what kind of space you need to use. If you want to use a lot of special items and decorations, consider using an entire room or some kind of walk-in closet at the memorial space, such as an unused room, grown child’s room, old office area, or an empty pantry. You can also choose a smaller area like a shelf, bookshelf, fireplace mantle, or other unobtrusive yet visible location in your home like an end table or coffee table, corner shelf, wall in a bedroom, or entire bookshelf.

Pictures are some of the best ways to honor and remember your lost loved one. And photos are a great place to start when creating your memorial area as a good picture can serve as the space’s central focus. Try restoring an old photograph, getting a new frame for an old picture, or using an antique frame for a new picture. You can also make a collage or use a double frame to display lots of different photos. What about cremation urns? If your lost loved one was cremated and you want to keep their remains in your home, you have a unique opportunity to display and honor the cremation urn. Create a special memorial space for your loved one centered around the urn containing the cremated remains. You can accomplish this by simply decorating the urn in some way, such as an engraved photo, inscription, or an urn with a photo frame. You can also use the urn as the centerpiece for the memorial and fill the space around the urn with photos, keepsakes, candles, and other items.

Don’t forget that your memorial space should be beautiful. Decorate it with lovely items like candles, pictures, artwork, flowers, greenery, or other items that both add ambiance to the space and reflect your lost loved one’s personality and style. Your lost loved one accomplished a lot in their life, so honor those accomplishments by displaying memorabilia or awards in the memorial space. Include items from military service, university degrees or doctoral certificates, awards such as plaques and trophies, and more. You can also add items that represent religious beliefs, church activity, volunteer service, club memberships, their favorite books, or other hobbies.

Do you want more tips on creating a memorial space or more information on Clarksville, TN funeral homes? Call or visit us today for more information on our veteran’s services.

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