Monthly Archives: April 2023
Concrete Ways to Help the Bereaved
You want to be helpful to someone who is grieving after a loss and burial at a cemetery in Matthews, NC, but how? You don’t want your attempts at being helpful to be a burden on them in their time of loss. You most likely want to be helpful in a concrete way. Here are some meaningful ways you can show up for someone in grief and be genuinely helpful.
You can help them rest. There’s a lot do to when someone dies, from planning the service to dealing with end-of-life legalities. Help out by taking things off their plate so they can really rest. Try taking over hosting responsibilities for out-of-town funeral guests, performing household chores, or doing some childcare for an afternoon. Yard work is an excellent way you can help out, as everyone needs their grass cut at some point. From making lists to actually doing the shopping, running errands takes a lot of physical and mental work. Taking errands off their plate would be very helpful in their time of grief.
Don’t forget to be flexible. What they need might vary from day to day. Yesterday, they might have wanted to be left alone, but today they might need a shoulder to cry on and an ear to hear their pain. Be flexible and willing to provide what they need as each moment passes. What about gifting them a massage? Physical touch like massages can be very helpful when someone is grieving. Gift them a massage gift certificate so they can rest, relax, and have some time alone.
Keep reaching out and ask what they need. Grief doesn’t end after the funeral or cremation. Even after you’ve attended the service, said your condolences, brought a meal, and run some errands, keep reaching out. They’ll always appreciate the support. Sometimes the best way to provide exactly the help they need is to ask them what they need. Be specific, saying something like, “I’m free on Wednesday, what can I help you with?” or “Can I bring over dinner on Thursday night?” The simple act of going somewhere when in grief can be overwhelming. You can also offer to drive them places or simply go with them wherever they need to go so they’re not alone. Homecooked meals are genuinely comforting, but cooking takes time and energy – both of which are tough to come by in grief. Cook at their house while keeping them company or bring over an easily heated, freezer-friendly dish like a casserole, soup, or lasagna. You can also include a little treat in your meal delivery, such as a pie, cookies, a book, or even a pair of cozy socks.
Do you want more tips on supporting someone in grief or more information on Matthews, NC cemeteries? We are here to help and are honored to assist in any way we can during your time of loss or preplanning. Please call or visit us today to learn more about our services.
Final Disposition and Cemeteries
Final disposition is what happens to a body after death, such as burial in a cemetery in Huntersville, NC. Keep reading to learn more about final disposition and the various methods used in cemeteries and beyond.
Ground burial at a cemetery is the most traditional disposition method in the United States. In this method, the body is kept intact, generally embalmed, placed in a casket, and then buried in a cemetery. While there are many options available for cemetery burial, cemeteries are becoming crowded. You can also bury remains above ground. Above-ground burial in a mausoleum is when the body is entombed above the ground in some kind of crypt or sarcophagus. These above-ground burial types are rarer than most other final disposition options, due to limited space and far greater cost. A lawn crypt is a vault that is partially underground and holds one or more caskets, usually a family or husband and wife pair. They generally have a few steps down to enter and can often be completely covered with grass.
After cremation, there is natural burial and cremation with ash burial. A natural burial is similar to ground burial except that the body is not embalmed or placed in a traditional casket. Instead, the body is placed on the earth with a few simple wrappings to ease natural biodegradation. The whole point of natural burial is to return the body to the earth in a simple, clean way. In a cremation with ash burial, the body is cremated and the cremated remains, or ashes, are placed in a cremation urn. The cremation urn is then buried in a cemetery plot inside a cremation urn vault to protect the cemetery grounds.
You can also choose final disposition methods like cremation with inurnment. You can place cremated remains inside cremation urns and then house the urn inside an above-ground permanent resting place called a columbarium. The columbarium houses urns in niches that are either in a freestanding structure on the cemetery grounds or an outdoor wall with niches that you can visit anytime. If you don’t want to bury or house cremated remains, you can also scatter them. The most traditional scattering method is scattering the ashes in a body of water such as a river, lake, or ocean. You can also scatter the ashes in a location special to you or the deceased, such as a favorite park or landmark. Don’t forget about housing cremated remains at home, whether on display or somewhere private.
There are also many nontraditional final disposition methods available, from water cremation and body donation to body preservation and more. You are welcome to explore these nontraditional methods to see if they would work for you or your lost loved one.
Do you want to learn more about final disposition or Huntersville, NC cemeteries? We are here to help. Call or visit us today for more information on our services or what we can do for you in your time of loss or preplanning.
Tips for Grieving Well After a Cemetery Service
While grief after a service at a cemetery in Charlotte, NC looks different for everyone, there are helpful tips that can help you cope with your loss. You’ll still always miss your loved one, you can look forward to a healthy, productive, and meaningful life if you allow yourself to grieve fully and openly.
To begin, take care of yourself. Put yourself and self-care first and you grieve. Don’t be afraid to turn off your phone and have quiet time or reach out to loved ones or friends for support when needed, binge-watch that TV show, or do whatever else you can do to help yourself feel better. Memorials like headstones are wonderful for grief as they provide a concrete place where you can go to remember and honor your lost loved one. You can set up a traditional memorial like a headstone, or you can create something more unique like a bird feeder, memory jar, painting, engraved heirloom, or even just a scrapbook filled with photos and memories. It can also be very helpful to write down the thoughts and feelings you have as you grieve. A journal is a space, a private space in which you can freely express yourself.
You also should exercise! Physical activity is wonderful for reducing the symptoms of grief. Take time to move your body in whatever way feels good, whether that means going for a walk, taking an exercise class, or even just dancing around your living room to your favorite music. Try honoring old traditions. While trying new things is great for grief, so is honoring and remembering the old traditions you had with your lost loved one. Considering doing some of the things you used to do together, whether alone or with another loved one or a friend. Facing the loss and your grief is incredibly difficult, but it must be done. Ignoring your grief and its associated feelings will not make them go away but will instead make them harder to deal with down the road.
Don’t be afraid to accept the changes in your life and try something new. Your life will change because of your loss, and resisting these changes will only make them harder. Take steps to make sure these adjustments are positive and healthy, like taking time for yourself and moving slowly. Consider trying a new hobby or pastime to remind yourself there is always the possibility for happiness and fulfillment even after a loss. You can try traveling, taking a class in a new skill, or even getting a new pet. You also need to prepare for and accept the symptoms of grief. When we grieve, our brains release hormones and chemicals that cause physical, mental, and emotional symptoms throughout the body. Be prepared for symptoms like brain fog, pain, or anxiety, and accept them as they come so they will leave when they’re ready.
If you process your grief, you can look forward to healing in your own time. We are here to help if you want more information on grief or Charlotte, NC cemeteries. Call or visit today to learn more.
What’s A Crypt?
What is a crypt, really? Do people still use crypts in cemeteries in Matthews, NC? Are there different kinds of crypts? Keep reading to learn more about crypts.
Maybe you’ve heard about crypts before or seen them in a scary TV show or mummy movie. Crypts aren’t as dark or scary as they seem in the movies. Instead, they are simple, meaningful places to house loved ones who have passed on and have had a service at a funeral home. Per Merriam-Webster, a crypt is, “a chamber (such as a vault) wholly or partly underground, a vault under a main floor of a church, or a chamber in a mausoleum.” Simply put, a crypt is a vault or small space used to house dead bodies, generally on the floor of a church or underground in some capacity.
It’s important to note that crypts and mausoleums are not the same thing. Mausoleums are the building that house crypts above ground, while crypts are the small rooms that house caskets. In other words, a mausoleum holds the crypt, and the crypt holds the casket or the body. Interestingly, there are different kinds of crypts, including mausoleum crypts and lawn crypts. While “crypt” refers to chambers underneath churches, it also refers to the chamber inside a mausoleum where the body is stored. Another word for the chamber where the body is stored inside a mausoleum is “mausoleum crypt.” A lawn crypt is an underground or partially underground mausoleum that contains more than one casket, such as several members of one family side by side or above and below.
It’s also important to note that some cemeteries use the term “lawn crypt” to refer to above-ground structures that hold one or more caskets. There are many other different types of crypts. Some of the most common are single crypts that house just one casket, companion for two caskets, and family or Westminster crypts that have enough room for an entire family. Most crypts are dark, dry, and somewhat cold. Single crypts are generally small rectangles just big enough for a casket, while Westminster crypts can be quite large as they need to hold multiple caskets. Usually, one end of the crypt is open to place the casket inside. Modern crypts also often have drains, pipes, and ventilation to prevent bad smells from building up inside the mausoleum.
The world’s first known crypts were used in Italy, Greece, and South Africa to house the bodies of saints, priests, martyrs, and other ancient Christians deemed worthy of entombment within a church as well as religious relics. Perhaps the most famous crypt is the one in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Built-in the 4th century, the crypt in St. Peter’s Basilica is believed to house the remains of Saint Peter underneath the floor of the high altar.
Do you want to learn more about crypts or Matthews, NC cemeteries? We are here to help. Please call or visit us today for more information about our services.