Paying homage to the deceased is one of the things that is required when attending funeral services. When it comes to funerals, there are two things that you can do to express sympathy. It is either you bring flowers for the bereaved or give them a donation. Read more
When we talk about living a full life, there are a lot of things that come into mind such as having no regrets, living life as happily as you can, have a successful career, build your own family and, more importantly, taking risks. All of these things are true. Read more
Described as a neurogenerative disorder, Alzheimer’s disease is a condition wherein the brain cells gradually degenerate. As a result, the person inflicted might end up having memory loss and an apparent decline in cognitive performance. Read more
Funerals are what most of us dread to attend basically because of what the occasion means. Like any other event, there is a proper dress code that everyone needs to follow as it is considered to be a ceremony for celebrating, respecting, Read more
“If I Had Only Known” performed by Reba McEntire
If I had only known
It was the last walk in the rain
I’d keep you out for hours in the storm
I would hold your hand
Like a life line to my heart
Underneath the thunder we’d be warm
If I had only known
It was our last walk in the rain
If I had only known
I’d never hear your voice again
I’d memorize each thing you ever said
And on those lonely nights
I could think of them once more
Keep your words alive inside my head
If I had only known
I’d never hear your voice again
You were the treasure in my hand
You were the one who always stood beside me
So unaware I foolishly believed
That you would always be there
But then there came a day
And I turned my head and you slipped away
If I had only known
It was my last night by your side
I’d pray a miracle would stop the dawn
And when you’d smile at me
I would look into your eyes
And make sure you know my love
For you goes on and on
If I had only known
If I had only known
The love I would’ve shown
If I had only known
“If I had only known” perfectly sums up how the bereaved feels after suddenly losing someone they love dearly. This is one of the funeral songs that everyone can identify with. Sang by the beautiful American country singer and actress Reba McEntire, the lyrics talks about how we treasure someone we love. How losing that one person is difficult and painful. It talks about how we are not prepared for the inevitable and how we regret not giving importance to each moment that we spent with them. It teaches us to cherish and enjoy each moment that we spend with our loved ones. It teaches us to appreciate their presence in our lives.
The song is also a good inspiration for those who do not have any idea on how to write eulogy. It allows us to think of all the good memories that we have shared with the deceased. As aforementioned, the song reminds us of the all the times that we spent with the deceased. This gives us the chance to re-kindle all the good memories that we have shared with them. This gives us the opportunity to think about all their positive traits and the positive things that they have shared with us. This gives us the chance to reminisce all the funny experiences and the famous quotes and expressions that the deceased used to say.
“If I had only known” appears on Reba McEntire’s eighteenth album which is For My Broken Heart. It was released in the year 1991. The making of the album had a bit of a history about it. It is the first album that she recorded after the airplane crash that killed almost all of the members of her touring band. The album sold 4 million copies which made it one of the biggest selling studio albums that she has released. McEntire describes the whole album as “a form of healing for all our broken hearts.” Each song is dedicated to help those who are left behind by their loved ones. This also makes it a perfect song to dedicate to the family and relatives of the deceased.
When it comes to taking care of the elderly or dying, caregivers are usually the ones we contact for help. This is usually when we cannot handle the stress that comes in taking care of our loved ones or if the patient themselves have no family to take care of them. The difference between us and the caregiver is that we have a choice and they don’t because it’s their job. Imagine how stressed out they are. They are taking care of different patients for a period of time, get to know them, witness how they are until the very end, and even help them with their funeral planning. The emotional and physical strain that they get from caregiving can take many forms. Caregivers can experience frustration and anger, guilt, feeling lonely, and exhausted.
It is important to release stress as this will seriously affect every aspect of your life. It can even lead to serious health problems. Therefore, take charge by simply acknowledging that you are stressed out instead of worrying all the time and feeling helpless. Don’t be afraid to ask and accept help. Don’t be afraid to say no to any requests that drains you. Remember that you are doing the best that you can and that you are not perfect. Identify the things that you can and you cannot change. Have realistic goals, organize everything, and join support groups for caregivers or spend time with your family and friends. These will help you in preventing yourself from getting into depression. Take a break if you have to in order to maintain the quality of work and your sanity as well.
Most caregivers share a special bond with their patients since they spend most of their time with them. This makes the job even harder and more stressful as they tend to sympathize with their patients. With the bond that they share, sometimes it is difficult for caregivers to go to the funeral services of all of the patients that they had. Therefore, releasing stress for this type of work is essential as this will really affect them in the end.
“Like a River” performed by Carly Simon
Dear mother the struggle is over now
And your house is up for sale
We divided your railway watches
Between the four of us
I fought over the pearls
With the other girls
But it was all a metaphor
For what was wrong with us
As the room is emptying out
Your face so young comes into view
And on the back porch is a well-worn step
And a pool of light you can walk into
I’ll wait no more for you like a daughter,
That part of our life together is over
But I will wait for you, forever
Like a river…
Can you clear up the mystery of the Sphinx?
Do you know any more about God?
Are you dancing with Benjamin Franklin
On the face of the moon?
Have you reconciled with Dad?
Does the rain still make you sad?
Last night I swear I could feel you
Moving through my room
And I thought you touched my feet
I so wanted it to be true
In my theater there is a stage
And a footlight you can step into…
I’ll wait no more for you like a daughter,
That part of our life together is over
But I will wait for you, forever
Like a river…
In the river I know I will find the key
And your voice will rise like the spray
In the moment of knowing
The tide will wash away my doubt
‘Cause you’re already home
Making it nice for when I come home
Like the way I find my bed turned down
Coming in from a late night out.
Please keep reminding me
Of what in my soul I know is true
Come in my boat, there’s a seat beside me
And two or three stars we can gaze into…
I’ll wait no more for you like a daughter,
That part of our life together is over
But I will wait for you forever
Like a river…
I’ll never leave, always just a dream away
A star that’s always watching
Never turn away
We’ll never leave, always just a thought away
A candle always burning
Never turn away
The moon will hide, the tree will bend
I’m right beside you
I’ll never turn away
Released in 1994, Carly Simon’s “Like a River” remains as one of her most prolific and heartfelt releases in her entire career. Included in the singer-songwriter’s eighteenth studio album (twentieth overall) “Letters Never Sent”, the message of the said song conveys a universal message – our unending love for our dearest mothers. That it why it does not come as a surprise that “Like a River” became a popular and quintessential track of the early 1990s. According to Simon, this song is homage to her mother, Andrea who passed away in 1994. This bittersweet emotion is seen all throughout the song – from the lyrics, to the melody, down to Simon’s singing.
Clocking in at around six minutes, “Like a River” narrates the story of a daughter talking about and dealing with her mother’s death. The song begins with a simple piano melody as Simon sings about how their family tries to move on from the passing away of their mother. About a minute and a half later, the song picks up pace and becomes a little lively and bright as Simon tries to catch up with her mother’s afterlife – if she has found answers to some of life’s greatest mysteries (Sphinx, God) or if she has already reconciled with their father. At this point, she expresses hopefulness that even though her waiting for her mother (as a daughter) is over, her love will never end like the river. This part is repeatedly sung throughout the track. The accompanying video is also very reflective of the song. Simon is seen playing the piano and singing the track as pictures of her and her mother are interspersed alternately in the video. Despite the quite lonely content of the song, it is evident in the video how Simon is all smiles and upbeat – signifying the gradual acceptance and unending hope for her mother’s return perhaps in the afterlife.
This is why “Like a River” is considered to be a perfect funeral song especially to those who have lost their beloved mothers. Despite the heavy emotion that one may feel during this phase in their lives, this song slowly helps them pick themselves up and slowly accept that things happen for a reason. It also provides them a hope that one day; they will be reunited with their mother because their love keeps on going just like a free-flowing river.
As visitors to funeral services, bringing food is a must. This is because it serves as a great help for the grieving family given that it serves a lot of purposes. For example, it can be used as a part of the refreshments served to other visitors. In this way, you can help the host family by taking part on one of their tasks on their behalf. Their family won’t need to be stressed over what to feed their visitors with your assistance. If you do not intend to contribute it as food to be served, it can also be used as comfort food to the host family as well. At this point in time, what the grieving family needs is your consoling. Aside from your prayers and presence, some good and light food would be very apt. It can help ease the hunger felt by the family and make them feel relaxed from all the stresses at the moment – even for a brief period of time.
A perfect type of food that you can bring to the family in funeral services would be casseroles. This specific dish is very easy to prepare and does not require a lot of time to cook. You also won’t need a lot of ingredients as well as the things needed to make casseroles can easily be drawn out from your food stocks. Casseroles are also very easy to eat which makes them the perfect comfort food. Here are some examples of casseroles that you can prepare for funeral services:
With these casserole dishes, you can help the family that you’re visiting in many ways possible.
A eulogy is a speech given in a funeral ceremony. It is a speech that pays respects to the deceased which also helps reduce the pain and grief that the bereaved feel. During the eulogy, sharing fond memories with the bereaved will help minimize the emotional pain they are feeling. Therefore, you have to know how to write a eulogy and what funeral quotes to add in the speech. It is imperative to choose the right words to comfort the family members of the deceased.
Writing a eulogy is a difficult process especially for those who are grieving. However, it is something that is customary in funerals. When it comes to writing it, there are several ideas that you can follow as a form of guidance. One of the things that you can include is what the person means to you. You can start talking about what you have learned from the deceased. You can talk about how the deceased loved life, the relationship the deceased had with other people, his work, and family. You can also talk about what you will miss the most, and other things that are worth mentioning.
The message can be short or long depending on how much time you want to spend in delivering the speech. Some choose to incorporate a touch of humor. There are times that it broke the air of heaviness in the room and get everyone to smile for a brief moment. In addition, always remember to write the message from the heart and proof read the speech before speaking in front of the audience. This will help you in relaxing and in pinpointing any grammatical errors or any inappropriate memory or quote that you might have included in there. Below are some of the best examples of eulogy quotes that you can add to your speech.
Dealing with the actual funeral service is one of the more stressful activities during the bereavement of a loved one. It can take all of your energy – both physically and emotionally. There are a lot of things that should be attended to during this phase but the people involved may have a difficult time accomplishing them as they are still also coping up with their own emotions as well. One of these would be the food supply. A lot of people are expected to visit the service to pay their respects. As a way of reciprocating their presence and condolences, it is imperative to provide them with refreshments through food and drinks.
But as mentioned earlier, providing food can be a little too much work for the affected family. This is the reason why the tradition of visitors bringing food for the funeral service is practiced up until now. It is a way in which visitors are able to show their affection and condolences to the grieving family. For the Chinese, this act represents utmost respect to the deceased person. It also signifies the final meal that the departed has to take before he or she crosses over to the next life. That is why the food prepared for Chinese funeral services such as roasted meat, fruits, vegetables, tea, and wine may seem so simple but is actually full of respect, honor, and representation of the culture that they belong to.
This also helps in easing the burden in terms of attending to the actual household chores needed for the service. In this case, with the food that the visitors bring, the family may need not to bother themselves with the preparations and focus on other things and immediate needs that may require their attention. It is also important for visitors to take note as to what type of food to bring for such occasions. Recommended items are those that can be easily consumed and disposed such as biscuits, instant coffee, and candies. This will serve as a great help for the host family since they would not need to exert additional effort in cleaning up after the round of visits are through.
