Purposes of Funerals
Funerals at funeral homes in Skaneateles, NY serve many purposes. If you choose to skip having a funeral for your loved one because they may have said they didn’t want one or you don’t think it’s really necessary, you may find, in time, that you feel like something is missing in how you said goodbye.
One of the purposes of funerals is that they reinforce the reality that your loved one has died. Death can be a hard concept to wrap your head around when it first happens. It’s such a shock that you may resist believing that it has actually happened.
However, when you have a funeral, the reality sets in that your loved one is gone. This opens the door for processing the grief you feel because you’ve lost someone you love. It also, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time, begins the process of healing so you can move forward with your life.
Another purpose of funerals is that they give you a chance to remember your loved one. The elements of funerals – readings, eulogies, tribute videos, songs, etc. – are all aspects of remembering the person you loved.
As you and your family are surrounded by people who knew your loved one, you will also be able to share in their memories, and a rich, warm, and loving of your loved one will be something you will take away and keep for the rest of your life.
Providing support is another purpose of funerals. When your loved one dies, you may suddenly feel all alone, even if you have immediate family. The loss that comes with losing someone you love can literally feel like your entire support system is pulled out from under you.
A funeral gives you the opportunity to receive the support of family, friends, and community. It reassures you that you are not all alone, and you don’t have to face the uncertainty of a future without your loved one in it all by yourself.
This support is extended beyond the funeral itself. When you don’t have a funeral, friends and neighbors might not reach out to help because they believe that you prefer to grieve the death of your loved one privately and they don’t want to intrude upon your wishes.
When you have a funeral, it opens the door for others to offer their support, not just in the moment, but in the weeks, months, and years ahead. You will be amazed at how much people want to offer you support when you give them the ability to.
Another purpose of funerals is that provide a safe place to express your emotions, your feelings, and your reactions to the death of your loved one. Outside the funeral home in the day to day life you will be shortly going back to, you will find that being emotional and feeling sad and sorrowful about your loss is not acceptable.
At the funeral, however, you can mourn and cry without feeling like you’re being weak or working hard to suppress your feelings so that nobody sees them. This is part of healthy grieving in an environment that allows you to without criticism or judgment.
A final purpose of funerals is that they give you and others an opportunity to explore the meaning of life and death at a deeper level than most of us normally think about these things. You may find in your own reflections that there are changes you want to make or things you want to do before your time comes.
For more information on having funerals at funeral homes in Skaneateles, NY, our compassionate and experienced team at Bagozzi Twins Funeral Home, Inc. is here to help you.
