Facebook7 Steps we all walk
Losing a loved one knocks you off your normal path of life and onto a very painful path. After helping that many families we started to notice the patterns. There are 7 steps of grief and healing that every family goes through when they lose a loved one.
Private Shock
Many people experience a physical shock when they first hear the news. They will become short of breath, they will ache all over, and tears will begin to flow. When the pain and tears diminish an overwhelming numbness often sets in.
Word Spreads
Next word begins to spread. One or two family members usually begin the process of calling the closest relatives who then call their own families. The phone calls continue until everyone knows.
Family Gathers
Inevitably what happens next is the family gathers together to support each other and to make pressing decisions like who's going to go to the funeral home to make arrangements. Decision making can be very difficult at this time so at Kane & Fetterly we try to make this as easy as possible for you.
Condolences From Friends
"I'm so sorry for your loss, is there anything I can do?" you will hear that or something similar quite a lot over the next few days and weeks. Your friends, your coworkers, your neighbors are all hearing the news and they all have an emotional need to express their condolences. It may surprise you to learn that 65% of people who come to a service didn't know the deceased directly. They knew the family or a family member.
Public Mourning
As family and friends gather together, mourning becomes a shared experience. In a very true sense... the ceremony, the visitation or the gathering is very much like a reunion. It is a time to share the stories and warm memories. We laugh, we cry, we make plans to get together and we remember the stories. A Loving Farewell unites us... family and friends, as we celebrate the life of our loved one in a meaningful and special way.
Final Goodbye
Sometime in the next few days it will be time to say your final goodbye. This may happen with the lowering of a casket or the burial of an urn. By taking the time to honor their life and tell their stories, you have preserved their legacy in your heart. Their body may be gone but the memories that you have will last a lifetime.
Private Grief
For some people grief only last a few weeks but for others grief lasts for many years. We know that we cannot avoid grief but we can minimize its impact by taking the time to gather as a family, focus your mourning on the stories of their life, say a final goodbye... and experience a Loving Farewell.
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