Blog- How To's

Death is an experience, universal in nature. Writing about someone you love may prove cathartic, but to some, it’s plain hard. A theme that pulls at the very deepest and exposed of human feelings, no words can do justice to a lost life, but some come very close.

Words that Heal

Poetry is a tool that helps process loss, extremely effective in coping during grief and mourning. Not only does an ode to a lost soul act as an avenue of self-expression, it also renders a fitting memorial. While you may be busy with chores and such, taking time to write helps heal. Through the written word, a lot of the pain, suffering and loss transfers to what you write. The tips that follow should aid in your quest to write an ode to a lost loved one.

Tip #1 - Take Time                             

Death is a heavy subject, requiring language that puts you in a vulnerable position. You may not be ready to approach such a sensitive spiritual wound that is still fresh. Taking time to be ready is of the utmost importance. Before you organize your own thoughts, it’s better to take a while, getting mundane things out of the way, if necessary.

Tip #2 - Lay Bare Feelings

A death may cause us to move residence, and moving to a suburb from a town may be something that's required. Physical issues surrounding death can be resolved, but mental readiness must exist to pen feelings. It’s important not to hold anything back, without fear of letting go and seeing your feelings on paper. Memories may be good and bad, but may need to be written.

Tip #3 - Think of Purpose

Think of the poem's purpose, what you are trying to achieve or express. Are you writing an anecdote about your lost love, or is this your final adieu? Maybe you want to say something particular to the person deceased.

Be Calm and Share

Its important to remain composed, so you put down thoughts constructively on paper. If you feel anxious or remorseful, you can stop and continue later. Sharing your poetry with close loved ones who may have been close to the deceased, is a good idea to get over pain.

Thanks for reading,

Karen

Typically, anyone would expect a body at a funeral - not to make light of an unfortunate event - a dead body  should be present. You'd be surprised at how many funerals are conducted without a body. How, you may ask, is this even possible? The answer involves the intentions of the people holding the funeral - family and friends of the deceased. In the present day, the trend is for families to hold very exclusive and private burials, with the body buried. A separate funeral service, held for extended friends and family/associates of the deceased is common.

Different Circumstances

In organizing a funeral, a lot of consideration is given to details, such as moving the body, casket, etc. Typically, a funeral home will offer these ancillary services to the deceased's family. Nonetheless, in some cases, movement of special products, like vases, and personalized caskets travel to the funeral home. In some cases, like disappearances, car accidents, natural calamities, and other situations of unexpected loss, funerals take place without a body. These are more like memorial services. In case of a cremation, a burial service isn't always needed, and a memorial service suffices. This may be non-traditional, in the form of those close to the deceased reminiscing about the past.

A Funeral Without a Body

Handled akin to a memorial service, a funeral without a body can be at a public hall, or a room at a funeral home. According to the faith of the deceased, a chapel or a residence could be good options. These services may include photograph displays or videos of the honored deceased. Usually, families and friends portray photo montages, timeline displays and captions of the deceased. A special table with a collection of the deceased's preferred possessions may be exhibited.

Memorials can be held at a favorite place of the deceased. Additionally, you may want to include a list of the deceased's achievements and put those on display. Whatever the case may be, the funeral service should be deserving of the memory of the person passed away.

Thanks for reading,

Karen

Wooden burial caskets have been in use since time immemorial. However, in recent times, alternative materials have emerged as casket materials that are offering stiff competition to their wooden competitors.  Each material has certain pros and cons. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the positives and negatives of wooden burial caskets.

The Pros

• Variety in design terms: There's a wide range of wooden burial caskets that buyers can choose from. From a design perspective, wooden caskets can be either simple or complex in their appearance. The color tones are varied as well, as various types of hardwoods are used to create these caskets.
• Available as both ready-made and custom products: If a burial needs to be conducted quickly, buyers can pick from a variety of ready-made wooden caskets. But if you have time, feel free to buy a custom casket that will be tailored to the specifications and requirements you provide to the casket makers.
• Affordability: Wooden caskets, when compared with caskets made from other materials, are very cheap. However, the fact that they’re affordable doesn’t mean that they look bad. If you’re on a strict budget, you’d be best off purchasing a wooden casket as it will look good and cost you less at the same time.

The Cons

•  Lack of durability: The major disadvantage of wooden burial caskets is that they’re not durable. After the burial, a wooden casket will last for a few years before it starts to go bad. If you want more in terms of durability, you should go with a metal casket. However, metal caskets would also require you to spend more money.
• Environmental concerns: The wood in the wooden caskets is ultimately derived through the cutting and felling of trees, which can cause environmental damage if the trees cut down aren't replaced by planting new ones.

So, now that you know the pros and cons of wooden burial caskets, we hope you can make an informed choice whenever you have to purchase a casket.

Thanks for reading,

Teresa

A funeral home refers to the physical location where funeral or burial services are carried out for the deceased and their families. Most people don't want to think about such services, but it's good to stay prepared because when you're grieving the loss of a loved one, you don't want to have to worry about such things.

Being prepared means getting in touch with funeral homes and deciding on one that can offer you what you need. Here are some questions you should ask before you make your decision about a funeral home:

How much experience do you have?

Checking whether the home is family-owned or part of an independent business and how long they’ve been operating will be able to give you an idea of the experience they have. It’s also important to determine whether the home is a part of professional associations or organizations so that you’re assured of professional standards of operation.   

What are the basic and additional costs?

Get clarity on the costs involved. Basic services will include funeral planning, preparation of notices, securing the permits required, sheltering remains, and more. You will have to get clarity on additional expenses that you need to pay for so that you’re not shocked by the bill at the end of it.

Can the funeral service be customized to my needs?

You will want to choose a funeral home that allows you to customize certain aspects of the service to suit your needs. This could be in terms of obituaries, prayer cards, photos, and more. Some customizations may be allowed without any additional cost, but others may add to your bill. 

What options for payment do I have?

You should check whether the funeral home can coordinate with your insurance company to arrange for financial assistance, especially for the expensive services involved.   

Is the staff available on call 24/7?

Make sure you pick a funeral home that allows you to have 24/7 access to staff and clearly outlines how long it will take for staff to arrive once you've called them.

Thanks for reading,

Karen

Many people choose cemeteries as their final resting place. As time passes by, the headstones, which were meant to be the lasting memorials that preserve the past, lose their marking, get worn, discolored, or even broken. But, by cleaning them once a year, it is possible to prevent decay and grime and ensure that your loved one’s headstone remains untarnished and fresh.

In this article, we will be discussing a few tips for gravestone cleaning.

Tools you will need

Here are some basic supplies you must have before heading out to the cemetery:

• Distilled water
• Garden sprayer that has not been used for any chemical
• Firm toothbrush
• Nylon brush or natural bristle brush of different sizes and stiffness
• Craft sticks
• Sponges

Before you start cleaning 

Check the condition of the headstone before attempting to clean it. If any of the following is present, do not proceed:

• Any stability issues
• Fractures on the stone
• Wooden headstone
• Anything suggesting that the headstone is slightly vulnerable or fragile
• Lettering or stone flaking or its parts falling away
• Hollow sound after gentle tapping

If the stone appears to be in decent condition and doesn’t show any of the above-mentioned signs, you can begin cleaning. Please note that the aim of cleaning is only to remove algae, lichens, etc. If you try anything more, you might end up doing more harm than good. 

Cleaning the headstone 

• Use different sizes and kinds of brushes with natural bristles along with water.
• Saturate the gravestone using water. Use a spray bottle to use less water and get a clean rinse.
• Start at the bottom and clean upward as it prevents streaking or additional staining.
• Use softest brushes first and then gradually shift to stiffer brush. Do not use a metal or wire brush.
• Scrape the moss or lichens on the stone using plastic or wooden scrapers.
• Clean the stone by using the brush in random circular motions.
• To help with cleaning, you can use a non-ionic soap. Make sure that you do proper research. If you are unsure, stick with water.
• Rinse the area properly.
• Do not use pressure washers, power tools, household cleaners, abrasive pads, sand blazers, bleach, or acidic cleaning agents for cleaning. 

Remember that if you don’t use the proper cleaning materials and technique, you might end up doing permanent damage to the gravestone.

Thanks for reading,

Karen