By David Coy
Sunrise
This upcoming holiday appears to give more people difficulty than at any other time of the year. Traditions are unique to every culture and provide a valuable service to individuals and families. It is believed by some that at death a person’s soul seeks out the person they love to say goodbye. Some rend their garments, and this allows a mourner to express their grief and sometimes anger. When I was a young boy, the tradition was when a loved one died the funeral was held in the home. I have a vivid memory seeing the casket in the living room. I can see it as clear as one probably can a memory from early childhood. Most of us consider visiting a gravesite and tombstone. Many believe it is comforting to them for routine visits, but certainly not all. Some people find it very unpleasant and not comforting at all.
This coming holiday is special to many; myself included. We all have different ways of celebrating and conducting the upcoming day in expressing Thanksgiving. Perhaps some will not celebrate the upcoming holiday at all. Of course, we all should show or express thankfulness on a daily basis in general, but as a nation, we have been blessed, and this is a way of observing the people of our land coming together as a nation. For those who are in their acute position of their journey with grief, they may not feel festive or social. The beauty of traditions, at least in this county, is that in our culture we can change the routine or chose to not participate at all. Sometimes a person chooses not to participate in death related activities because of unresolved complicated grief wherein they not only do not participate in traditional death related activities they exclude associating with family and/or friends. Whatever your circumstances if we may be of service please allow us the opportunity.
This is Sunrise Aftercare.
