Funeral homes in Willoughby Hills, OH, are there when you’re loved one dies. Losing someone close to your heart is perhaps the most intensely emotional experience one can face. As members of the community, it’s our moral and ethical responsibility to comfort people dealing with such an irreparable loss. Often, we find ourselves short of words to share their loss and show empathy with them.

Even if you’re intending to make them feel better, your selection of words may not come easy. We have put together this guideline to help our readers learn what to say to a grieving friend or a family member to comfort make them and make them feel strong.

Avoid Uttering Cliches

Many of us can’t understand the feelings of sorrow and grief people go through after they’ve lost a loved one. Our insensitive remarks could inadvertently add to their pain and misery. So, avoid using sentences, like:

1. “How are you feeling?” You already know how they feel- they’re devastated.
2. “It was his/her time.” Any statement insinuating that your friend’s loss was planned or had to occur just complicates their feelings.
3. “They’re in a better place right now.” Regardless of what you believe in or what your faith says, such a statement should be avoided as everyone wants their loved one to be with them and everyone has their own beliefs about life after death.

Offer Strength and Hope

One of the main purposes of attending a funeral or cremation service is to show your empathy and support for the bereaved. Instead of making them feel bad for their loss, say something that’s going to give them courage and strength to get through that difficult time. Give them a renewed sense of life; a glitter of hope to get past the grief and sorrow.

Anything similar to “Grieve for as long as you need to be, and cry if you want, I am always here for you, and I know you’re a strong person and going to get through this.”

It shows you acknowledge their pain and suffering and also gives them confidence and hope to get past this phase of life with time.

Similarly, use statements that cheer them up, lighten their mood, and help them celebrate the life of the deceased. You can say, “Should I tell you my favorite memory with the departed soul?” and narrate a happy or funny moment that you were part of.

Bring Sympathetic Meals

During a funeral, the bereaved are too busy arranging various services along with coping with the loss to satiate their appetite. Also, it is difficult for the bereaved to specify or ask for food even if they’re hungry.

Bring with you frozen food that they can cook quickly or provide assistance in cooking or shopping. If you don’t know what type of food they like, just ask, “I am running to the grocery store down the street, what should I bring for you.” That is, create opportunities to make them say what they want to eat. People who are preoccupied with funeral homes in Willoughby Hills, OH, may not have time to plan meals.

Returning to work after losing a beloved and dealing with funeral homes Waite Hill, OH is the hardest thing you may experience but that’s how life rolls. While some people prefer to get back to work quickly to avoid loneliness and get back to routine, but many feel it like the last thing you want to do.

Grief is not a simple process and varies from person to person. You may be too overwhelmed to go back to professional life or you may find the attitude of your colleagues or workers hurtful. In any case, we’re here to help you out and make it easy for you to get back to work while you’re bereaving.

Don’t Talk Too Much

The workplace is full of small talks and you are bound to hear a lot of questions; some of them might be impossible to answer even though they seem legitimate to everyone. The reason is a grieving person is feeling a mix of emotions, and you might feel uncomfortable to answer them all individually. So, think of some standard answers that should deflect the conversations or cut them short.

Learn the art of steering the conversation away from the topic of the deceased. One way is to start asking questions about their lives and professional matters. Within a few days, you’ll adapt to the new reality.

Inform Your Co-Workers

Some of your coworkers may have already known about your loss and some of them might have attended the funeral services – so they are aware of your grief. But you have to decide whether or not to inform all the colleagues about your loss.

It’s recommended to let them know about what tragic event has unfolded in your life and you need time and space to process it. It would prevent awkward questions that may make you feel uncomfortable. You would also garner emotional support from your coworkers – making the transition easier for you.

Foster Communication in the Workplace

You shouldn’t shell into loneliness or confine yourself in your office the whole day. Keep communicating with the manager, colleagues, and subordinates, especially in the days following your return to the office. That would also encourage your coworkers to keep a check on you and share your grief and emotions.

Also, don’t shy away from asking for help from your colleagues, if you need it.

Stay Focused on Your Tasks

Develop strategies to stay focused and determined on your daily tasks. Generally, grief has a significant impact on your ability to concentrate and a small project may feel like a herculean or even impossible task to you.

So, look for ways to circumvent distractions and stay put.

Take Your Time to Cope with Grief

Depending on your relationship with the deceased, you may get overwhelmed during office time. It would be better to find a quiet place to be alone when you want to shed a tear or two. If you can’t have a private space in your office, you could go to the emergency room, bathroom, or outside to get some fresh air and remember the lost loved one. Finding the right funeral homes Waite Hill, OH, are just the start of the process.

It’s a no-brainer that people avoid talking about funeral homes Mentor, OH. Less than 14% of Americans ever discuss funerals with friends and family until they have to visit one. Gone are the days when people used to feel uncomfortable or awkward in planning their funerals well before their end. Now, an increasing number of people share their thoughts and final wishes with the family and plan their end-of-life preparations ahead of time.

Still, preplanning a funeral is considered taboo in many cultures and traditions and many misconceptions are circulating about it. Let us kick some common myths pertaining to preplanning a funeral out of the park – that would encourage you to plan your final services.

I am Too Young to Talk About It

Nothing can be farther from the truth. Well, for one thing, no one can predict death. Many young people plan their funerals even if they believe the death is years in the future. The rationale is to ensure their final services are arranged as per their wishes with little to no financial burden on the left ones.

Preplan Only When You Have Financial Issues

It’s simply not true. While the financial aspect is conspicuous in funeral planning, it’s not the only reason. Many people are not under any financial strain when they preplan their final services, instead, they want to have the final service their own way.

During a funeral, many wishes of the deceased remain unfulfilled. for obvious reasons. But when you preplan your funeral and document every single detail of how it should go, the family is in a better position to honor all your final desires.

I am Too Busy to Plan My Funeral

We have to make time for things we value – and a funeral is one of them. Just like your exercise, higher education, and office work, planning your funeral is worth your time. Planning ahead allows you to delineate how you want to be remembered once you’re gone forever. Knowing that your family will honor your wishes takes a lot of pressure from you – and the family you’re leaving behind.

You Have All the Information you Need

Many people have the misconception that their family already knows all the information to honor their final services. You may have told them some of your wishes, like if you want to be buried or cremated but a lot is included in a funeral than what you might think. Once you start digging into the details, you realize the importance of various events associated with a funeral service – that might seem irrelevant to you at first.

Preplanning Doesn’t Help You

Many people believe that planning a funeral ahead is nothing but a waste of time. It doesn’t help you as you’re already dead. But let me stop you here … it may not help as you want but it, at least gives your family peace of mind, knowing that they’re honoring all your wishes – and what can be a greater gift to your family than making it easier for your family to make decisions and cope with your passing? Funeral homes Mentor, OH, can help.