One of the most difficult speeches you will ever have to make in your life is called a eulogy. This is your last tribute to a deceased love one. The term eulogy has roots from the Greek word “εὐλογία,” which is defined as praise. It is comprised of words to honor your loved ones who passed away. It is usually delivered during the funeral or memorial services. Read more
The death of a loved one is an unimaginable loss for many of us. The unfathomable uncertainty of death and the pain it leaves in the hearts of the bereaved leaves a void that cannot be filled. The gloominess and melancholy that ensue can be turbulent for the family and friends of the dead. To alleviate the heaviness of the atmosphere and reach out to the mourning individuals long after the funeral services are over, you may give them gifts and presents. Though this will not measure up to the gravity of their loss, at least you might, in some small way, make them feel a tiny bit better. Here are a few things that you can gift to people who mourn the demise of a loved one. Read more
If you were tasked to give a eulogy during the memorial or funeral services, you are given this honor because you have a close relationship with the deceased. A eulogy is a speech that you say about your beloved who passed away. A few people find this painful to do, especially if it is a sudden death or the one who died is still too young. When a direct family member finds it difficult to control their emotions, you may be tasked to deliver a eulogy on their behalf. Read more
We have all lost someone near and dear to us to a thief called death. Sadly, dying is an inevitable part of life that no one can escape. Apart from the pain directly caused by the loss, planning a funeral can take its toll on the immediate family. It is hard to write the death announcement, along with figuring out the details of the ceremony.
Whether it is a long term illness or a sudden demise, death is difficult to accept, and healing will take time. Losing a loved one has the potential to affect the lives of the bereaved greatly. It manifests in the physical and emotional aspects, sometimes with a lasting impact. Read on to understand how death can affect a family and why it is important to be kind, patient, supportive, and understanding to those who are grieving.
1. Children grow up without knowing their loved one
When a person experiences losing a loved one as a child, this can have many long term psychological effects. A child who has lost a mother or father will grow up with a missing piece because of the absence of one parental figure. This can lead to personal issues like self-identity crisis and difficulty establishing healthy relationships with people.
Studies show that children who were not able to process the death of a parent properly grow up with abandonment issues. They search for love and comfort elsewhere. They look for substitutes and may end up in the wrong relationship. Guidance is paramount for those who lose a parental figure to ensure that kids grow up in the right direction.
2. Can cause strain on relationships
Grief-stricken people often need time to process pain and emotion correctly. If the grief is not managed and handled properly, this can lead a person to feel heavy issues and volatile feelings that become an emotional baggage. One who cannot move on from the death of a family member may have difficulty maintaining other relationships because of emotional instability.
When one is moody or depressed, it can lead to withdrawal. This can, in turn, cause miscommunication and misunderstandings. Unfortunately, these things have the power to create rifts in family ties and can even sever relationships. The death of a loved one has the potential to divide a family without proper grief management. This can be avoided if a family consults a specialist or copes through healthy methods like holding open discussions or dialogues to provide an avenue for emotional expression.
3. May affect the lifestyle
There is no doubt that a family member’s death can drastically alter the household’s routine, priorities, and overall lifestyle. To many, losing a family member will cause a significant change in family dynamics, particularly if the deceased is the household’s breadwinner. How do you pay for your mortgage and basic needs when no one is earning? This poses a difficulty to grieving family members since it would mean making adjustments in spending habits and lifestyle choices.
In addition, this also means rearranging schedules and changing routines, which many bereaved family members find challenging to do. If the missing family member is used to picking up the children to and from school, who will be tasked to do it now that the person is gone? The life of the ones left behind is forever altered when their loved one passes on. As such, it is crucial to have a good support system. If you know someone in a similar situation, now is the time to offer a helping hand.
4. Posses a huge financial burden
Burials and cremation services cost a large sum of money. For many families around the world, this expenditure is too big a cost to bear. Often, people are caught off guard when someone dies, so they are ill-prepared. Families are shattered financially by a loved one’s death, especially if they find cannot afford it. Those who do not have insurance plans find themself using up their savings. This leaves the bereaved with a heavy financial burden that can strain their lifestyle and relationships with one another.
With this in mind, the heads of families need to perform proper planning, which involves getting the right insurance coverage, conducting estate management, and procuring funeral investments ahead. When you plan for the future, you secure your family in case of an emergency or other unforeseen circumstances. The last thing any person should be worrying about when someone dies is the financial aspect so that they can grieve in peace!
Final Word
It is normal for family members to react differently when they experience a closed loved one’s death. As individuals try to cope with changing roles, it can result in complicated emotions and untoward behavior. While each person is going through their journey, it can be difficult to connect with one another. The important thing to remember is always a beacon of hope that will readily offer support during these trying times.
Though every person knows that death is an inevitable part of human existence, it is still hard to come to terms with it, especially when the person you love is the one that passes on. This is a tumultuous period that inflicts pain, suffering, and sadness on the bereaved family and friends. After planning a funeral, it feels tragic to go back to an incomplete home where the glaring absence of the deceased is felt. How does one move on after all the funeral ceremonies are done? Read more
Fill your heart with love today
Don’t play the game of time
Things that happened in the past
Only happened in your mind, only in your mind
Oh, forget your mind, and you’ll be free, yeah Read more
How far is heaven?
Let’s go tonight, I want my daddy to hold me tight.
A little girl was waiting for her daddy one day
It was time to meet him, when she heard her mommy say
Come to mommy darling, please do not cry
Daddy’s gone to heaven, way up in the sky Read more
Just like adults, children react to death in various ways. This could be influenced by a myriad of factors such as their age, gender, relationship with the one who died, family circumstances, personality, development stage, amount of support given to them, earlier experiences, and how the others around them are grieving.
Always remember that grief is a natural response to a loss, and losing the person you love is complicated. It is even harder for kids who don’t have the emotional maturity, depth of experience, and ingrained wisdom to handle such trying times. Grief has no time table, so you must always be ready to reassure your children and give them comfort. Read more
It is a common practice to send a condolence card with funeral flowers during memorial services or even after the proceedings are over. Usually, people just buy a nice card and put in the standard words like: “You have my deepest sympathies,” “I am sorry for your loss,” or “Our deepest condolences.” All are comforting words that show care and support. Read more
A funeral is already an emotionally tough situation right from the start. This scenario is totally understandable because it is very painful to lose a loved one. Most people believe that memorial and funeral services are solemn affairs with people shedding a tear or two. However, many funeral directors digress and share that gut-wrenching cries, bloody screams, and even fights have erupted in front of the coffin with people throwing vases of funeral flowers at each other. These dastardly deeds push the intensity level from tense to almost toxic. Read more
