Monthly Archives: June 2022

Caring for a Grieving Friend

The only thing worse than personally experiencing feelings of grief is having to watch a close friend experience it. Losing a loved one can be devastating and watching a friend have to deal with that pain can break your heart. You want to help, but you may be unsure of the best way to do so. While you may not be able to help make the arrangements with funeral homes in Michigan City, IN., there are several other things you can do for your friend at this time.

Help with Day-to-Day Chores

With making funeral arrangements and dealing with lose ends to tie up, your friend is going to have a lot to deal with. Add to that, the regular chores like taking out the trash, doing laundry, paying bills, and more, and your friend is most likely going to be overwhelmed with everything.

Help them by offering to complete some of these mundane chores. Head over to their house and wash clothes, do the dishes, clean the house, mow the yard, run errands, offer whatever help you can to take some of the stress and burden off of them.

Keep Them Healthy

With so much going on and the feelings of grief and sadness your friend is experiencing, they may not be paying much attention to their overall health. This could mean they are not eating healthy, or not eating at all. This could also mean they are not sleeping well or getting enough exercise.

To make sure they are staying healthy both mentally and physically at this time is very important. Things you can do to help could include:

Dropping off premade meals that simply need to be reheated in the microwave or oven
Inviting them to join you for a yoga class
Take them to dinner
Make them a self-care package of nice bath soaps and relaxing bubble baths
Invite them to the park for a walk, hike, game of frisbee, or other physical activity

Offer Help with Their Children or Pets

If your friend has children and/or pets, see if you can help with their care. If they have a dog, perhaps you could foster the dog for a few days or so until everything calms down a little for them. If they have children, maybe you could offer to help drive them to/from school or other activities.

Just Be There

One of the easiest and best things you can do is to just be there. Be a shoulder for them to cry on, and a person to talk to. Your friend will be going through a wide variety of emotions and to have someone to talk to can mean everything. If you feel your friend is experiencing feelings that are too intense for you to handle or cause you concern, find a grief support group, therapist, or other resource they can reach out to.

When your friend is having to talk to funeral homes in Michigan City, IN. they are going to be going though one of the hardest times in their life. While you cannot make the pain go away, being there and showing your support can go a long way in providing them some much needed comfort. Contact us now.

Tips for Your Glass Urn

With more families choosing cremation services in South Bend, IN., there are more people keeping cremation urns in their home. Although there are several materials these urns can be made from, a popular option is the glass urn. This may be because these urns come in a variety of beautiful colors and designs and can add to the aesthetic of any room. If you are choosing a glass urn for your loved one’s remains, here are some tips for the placement, design, and cleaning of your urn.

Where to Place Your Glass Urn

The first thing to decide is what room or area of your home you would like to display your glass urn. Some people may choose to display the urn where guests can see it when visiting and yet other families might rather have the urn in a more private area or room. There is no right or worn here as this is just a personal preference.

Once you have the room selected, you want to make sure the urn is placed on a shelf or other spot that is secure and out of the way of things like pets or children. Since this is glass, it is obviously very delicate and needs to be kept away from busy, high-traffic areas.

Design of the Urn and Home Décor

With glass urns being available in so many colors, shapes and designs, there is an urn to match or compliment just about any home décor. Look at the room and space the urn will be placed and opt for something that will look cohesive with that space. It doesn’t have to match exactly, but by working to have it compliment at least the style of the room can help it not look odd and completely out of place.

Create a Memorial Space with Your Glass Urn

If you would like to make more of a statement with your glass urn, consider creating a memorial space around it. This could include adding trinkets such as awards or medals, favorite photographs, or other special items on the shelf or space around the urn.

How to Clean Your Glass Urn

Keeping your glass urn looking like new is easy. To dust it, simply use a soft dry cloth and wipe the urn off. Depending on your household you may need to do this once or twice a week, or just a couple of times per month. To get a deeper clean, you can use an all-natural glass cleaner and soft cloth. You can also use water to clean the urn, but because water can cause staining, always make sure you wipe the urn completely dry with a soft dry cloth.

Final Thoughts

Keeping your loved one close to you after their cremation services in South Bend, IN., can bring a sense of comfort and peace. Glass urns are a lovely way to do this since they also add an elegance and beauty to any space. Making sure your glass urn is in a secure, out of the way spot, and cleaning it regularly and properly will ensure your urn lasts for years to come. Visit our location now or check our services.

5 Things to Know When Selecting a Headstone

If you are talking to funeral homes in South Bend, IN., and having to purchase a headstone soon, you may be feel overwhelmed. This is a big purchase and the thought of it can be dauting. Not only are you dealing with feelings of grief and loss, but this is not something you have most likely had to purchase before. Additionally, you not only have to select the material, color, design, etc., of the marker, but there may be cemetery restrictions and regulations you need to take into consideration.

To help make the process a little easier, we have put a list together of five things that many times people overlook or forget to ask.

1. Obtain Copy of Rules and Regulation

Before you even start shopping for the headstone, check with the cemetery to get a clear understanding of what is (and what isn’t) allowed in the cemetery. Some cemeteries have restrictions on size and color of headstones, others may restrict certain materials the marker can be constructed from.

When you bought the grave site, you were probably given a written copy of the rules and regulation. If not, or if you cannot locate it, ask for another copy. By law, the cemetery is required to provide you with one once asked.

2. Documents You Will Need

When purchasing the headstone, there are certain documents you will most typically need. Having these papers all together and ready to go can help streamline the overall process for you. The documents you will need can include:

Photo Release Forms
Setting forms
Concrete border release forms
Marker authorization form

3. Does the Headstone Come with a Warranty?

A headstone is a big purchase, and any reputable provider will offer a warranty on their work. Many times these warranties will cover manufactures defects, workmanship, or other issues. Make sure you fully understand the warranty as well as get it in writing. Also, keep this warranty in a safe place with your other funeral paperwork so it is handy in case any future issues arise.

4. Is There a Setting Fee?

Other than the price of the headstone, there may be a setting fee. These can also be called a placement fee and cover things such as the placement of the marker, maintenance of the grounds, the marker’s foundation, and perpetual care. This cost can vary significantly from one cemetery to another (even within the same county or city) so check and make sure you know if there is a setting fee and exactly how much it will be.

5. How Long Will Production Take?

If you are needing the marker completed by a certain date, check with the provider to ensue that is possible. Typically, a marker can be completed within about 3-4 weeks. Of course, this timeframe will depend on many factors including the design, type, and any extra customization that might need to be done. Things that can make this timeline longer are design changes, or if the marker is large or an upright marker. In this case, it can take as long as three months.

When making prearrangements with funeral homes in South Bend, IN., you will have a lot on your plate. Although the purchasing of the headstone can seem overwhelming, we hope these tips help make the process a little easier. Visit us now.

Journaling Your Way Through Grief

Grieving is a natural process and it’s what we all have to endure when we lose someone close to us. While we may go through it in different stages and in different ways, the goal is to make sure we get through it in a healthy way. One of those ways is through journaling. If you are having a difficult time after you loved one’s cremation services in Rolling Prairie, IN., we encourage you to try this activity. If you aren’t sure how, keep reading.

Why Journaling?

Journaling has been proven to help people work through things like depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief. There is something very therapeutic about getting your thoughts out of your head and down onto paper.

It is also a nice option for those who may be more hesitant to share thoughts publicly such as talking in a group or with a therapist. Since your journal is for your eyes only, you can feel freer to express yourself and your true feelings.

What You Need

The wonderful thing about journaling is that it doesn’t require anything fancy. All you need is some paper or a notebook and a pen or pencil. You might be tempted to keep a journal on your smartphone or laptop, and if that is the only way you will write, then okay. However, it is suggested that you physically write your thoughts out instead.

When you use your hand and actually write out your thoughts you connect with them in a different way. If you would like to see how this works, try it yourself by writing in a paper journal one day, and on a laptop the next. We bet you can feel a difference.

What To Write

When you start to journal, you my just look at the blank page and have no idea what to write. This is okay and normal. The good news is that there is no right or wrong way to do this. If you need some inspiration, you could start with writing about:

A favorite memory you have with your loved one
Things you would like to say to them
Something that you makes you smile when you think of them

If you are still stuck on what to write, don’t write at all. Draw, doodle, make a bulleted list. There are no rules on how to get your thoughts out. Just let go and allow yourself the freedom to express them however you wish.

Helpful Tips

When you are writing, let go of judgement. Don’t’ stop yourself from writing or drawing something because of what you think about it or what someone else might think about it. This journal is just for you so let go of any judgement and let yourself be free to express whatever you are feeling.

Try and write often. If you can find some time each day to write, that is ideal. You may find that if you do it at the same time each day, it is easier to keep up with and it becomes a habit.

Grieving after a loved one’s cremation services in Rolling Prairie, IN., is difficult. While journaling can’t make the feelings of loss and sadness disappear, it can help you manage these feelings in a heathy way or through grief support. Reach out to us now.