What can the five stages of grief do for you? The five stages of grief are a well-known blueprint that helps people understand how they grieve and offers guidance on how to get through a loss and an aquamation service in Shelby, NC.

Grief doesn’t come all at once or all in the same way, it often moves through stages: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a Swiss-American psychologist, first developed these five stages in 1969 to help illustrate that fact that, while every human experience grief differently, almost everyone moves through one or many of these five stages at some point in the grieving process. Some people might move through all, others just one, and more still might experience only a few. Kubler-Ross also believed that the order of the five stages isn’t necessarily important, as people might experience them in varying orders and intensities, even moving back and forth between them.

Denial is when you don’t want to believe or an unable to believe that your loved one has died. The “this can’t be happening to me” reaction is very normal and is usually the first reaction after a loss. Denial can also come in the form of telling people you’re fine even though you’re not because you’re denying your true feelings of grief. Anger generally sets in when you realize you can’t deny or fight the loss any longer. You might become angry at the people around you, taking your anger out on doctors and nurses who “failed” your loved one or on yourself for making a mistake that might have led to or worsened the situation. Some even direct their anger toward God or a higher power.

Bargaining is when you deny the truth by trying to change it. It might manifest as trying to get the doctors to bring in another expert or try a new treatment, or as pleading with God or a higher power for more time or a different outcome. Like the name sounds, depression is when you feel hopeless or that you can’t go on because of the loss. You might feel overwhelmed, alone, and lost. The final stage, acceptance is where you come to terms with the fact that your loved one is or is going to be gone. The grief and pain don’t go away in this stage, but you do accept and feel those feelings. When you reach the fifth stage of grief, you begin to plan how you will move on with your life.

While it’s not a comprehensive guideline, the five stages of grief do help, comfort, and a basic understanding of how we experience grief and how that experience changes over time.

Do you have more questions? We are here to assist with your planning needs, just as the five stages of grief are a helpful tool for anyone dealing with a loss or planning a Shelby, NC aquamation service. Call or visit us today to learn more.

Whether you’re planning a funeral or an aquamation service in Shelby, NC, you should be aware of the different kinds of grief and how to handle them, like abbreviated grief.

Abbreviated grief, as the name signifies, is mourning that doesn’t last a long time. Though it’s short or abbreviated, this kind of grief isn’t any less real than other kinds. Abbreviated grief is most common when there isn’t a close relationship with the deceased or when there’s an immediate replacement of the deceased. For example, it can occur when a widower remarries quickly after the death of his spouse, or when a distant relative dies. It can also occur after a terminal illness because of a phenomenon called anticipatory grief, which is when you do part of your grieving before the person actually dies so you don’t grieve as long after death.

Here are some fast facts about abbreviated grief to help you better understand and cope with your own loss. To begin, children often feel abbreviated grief. It’s normal for children to feel abbreviated grief depending on their age and relationship with the deceased. Also, abbreviated grief is grief. While this kind of grief may not seem real or standard, it’s still very real and does happen often. Plus, everyone grieves differently.

Abbreviated grief can affect your health. No matter how short or long, grief has been shown to affect health by causing issues like increased blood pressure, poor sleep, physical aches and pains, trouble concentrating, and even heart palpitations. There is no shame in seeking help for physical grief manifestations. Though abbreviated grief is short you still need to remember to take care of yourself. Eat, sleep, and exercise if you can, as keeping your body healthy will make it easier for you to feel better.

Also, feeling your grief is always best. While it may be very tempting to numb your grief and pain with drugs, food, alcohol, or distractions like work, it’s always best to feel your feelings. It might be uncomfortable or painful, but you won’t be able to properly heal if you don’t allow yourself to truly grieve. It’s important to note that you don’t need to lose a loved one to grieve. People can experience abbreviated grief, and other kinds of grief, after a loss that isn’t a death. These can include divorce, loss of a friendship, job loss, or learning you can’t have kids. Finally, don’t feel pressure to prolong your grief or feel guilty over the length of your grief.

Everyone mourns differently and in their own time, so don’t feel pressure or judgment because of how you feel. Remember, everyone grieves in their own unique way and in their own unique timeframe. Don’t compare your grief to someone else’s or judge another person for the way they mourn, even if you or they are dealing with abbreviated grief.

We are here to help if you want to learn more about grieving or about Shelby, NC aquamation services. Call or visit us today for more information on what we can do for you in your time of loss or preplanning.

The end of your loved one’s aquamation service in Shelby, NC isn’t the end of your funeral to-do list. You still have to send out thank you cards. Sending out thank you cards might seem a bit outdated or unnecessary, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s absolutely vital to thank the people that brought flowers, food, or otherwise supported you in your time of loss. giving gifts. Plus, thank you cards allow you to stay connected with people even after the funeral is over. How do you actually go about sending thank you cards?

It may seem like a lot of work, but it actually isn’t that bad – especially if you follow these tips:

1. Keep it Personal – Try to make every card as personalized as you can. Write a tidbit about where their donation is going or how their thoughtful food was delicious. These personalized touches will make your guests feel appreciated.
2. Stay Organized – Make a list and stick to it! Keep track of who gave what and when so you can just follow your list when it’s time to say, “thank you.”
3. Start Tracking Early – It will be so hard to try and remember or determine who gave what or who brought what after the funeral. The sooner you start keeping track of flowers, food, or donations the better off you will be. If people send gifts early you can also be sneaky and write some thank you cards before the funeral itself. Just don’t send them till afterward.
4. Go Slow – You don’t have to write all the cards in one sitting. In fact, it’s better to write a few every day so you don’t get overwhelmed, make mistakes, or lose personalization.
5. Who should you send thank you cards to? – Besides the guests and anyone who sent a gift or made a donation, you should also thank vendors, officiants or speakers, attendants, your parents, or whoever helped you organize the funeral. Some people also send thank you cards to the funeral director or aquamation provider staff.
6. Don’t Wait Too Long – Try to send out thank you cards as soon as you can after the funeral, but don’t stress yourself out too much. The proper window of time for thank you cards is one to two months after the service.
7. Get Some Help – You don’t have to write the thank you cards all on your own. Get some help, whether it’s from a colleague, friend, or family member.
8. Stationary – If you have it in your budget to buy personalized or custom stationery for the thank you cards, go for it. However, if you don’t have the extra cash, clean, pretty, and simple cards or paper will do the trick.

As a Shelby, NC aquamation service provider, we are here to help with any other questions you may have about thank you notes, funeral services, or any other aspect of at-needs or pre-needs planning. We’re honored to do what we can to help in your time of loss.

Most people have been to a funeral or memorial after an aquamation service in Shelby, NC While there’s nothing wrong about being comforted in tradition, there is something to be said for going a different route: a celebration of life.

Celebrations of life are non-traditional services that, rather than mourning a loss, remember and celebrate a life well lived. They give attendees a chance to say goodbye by sharing stories and memories and then laughing and smiling about those stories rather than crying over them. The best thing about celebrations of life? They have no rules at all. They can be whatever you want them to be! Unless, of course, the deceased left specific instructions for their service.

Since celebrations of life aren’t rooted in long traditions, they can be whatever the bereaved and the deceased want. But if there are no rules, how do you go about planning one? Where do you start? Here are some tips to help you plan a celebration of life:

• The Service Itself – You also need to do some planning for how you will honor and celebrate your lost loved one. Generally, celebrations of life have some kind of officiant or MC that leads the group in memories, speaks about the life of the deceased, and ushers the ceremony along. However, you can also have a more informal ceremony without a specific leader. If you go this route, consider passing out programs so guests know what to expect, where to be, and what to do.
• The Guest List – Who do you want to invite? Keep the guest list small if you want an intimate celebration or open it up to the whole community if you want a large celebration.
• Location – Once you have a rough idea of how many people are going to attend you can start to choose a location. Some celebrations of life are held at traditional places like churches, funeral homes, and banquet halls, but others are held at much more unique locales. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box: campfires in the woods, dinners at restaurants, services in a field, or even just a backyard barbeque.
• Activities – A celebration of life can be full of a range of activities to help remember and honor the deceased. Some common activities are scrapbooks or memory boards, reading the deceased’s favorite literature or listening to their favorite music, watching memorial tribute videos, and eating the deceased’s favorite foods. Remember, a celebration of life is a celebration. As such, it should be uplifting and fun. Don’t shy away from good fun, drinks, and even decorations like balloons and streamers. They are interesting, unique, and heartwarming ways to celebrate lives.

Do you want more tips on planning celebrations of life or on Shelby, NC aquamation services? We are here to help and are honored to do so however we can in your time of loss and celebration of a life well lived. Call or visit us today to learn more.

You will need to get a death certificate for almost aquamation service in Shelby, NC. But what is a death certificate? Where do you get them? Do they cost money?

A death certificate is an official document that formally declares a death. They usually list the date, time, location, and cause of death as well as some other personal information about the deceased. Though death certificate laws can vary slightly from state to state, they generally are required to be registered with a state’s Department of Health and Vital Statistics. If you need a copy of a death certificate you can visit your state’s vital records office to be issued a certified copy.

Death certificates are not free. Their exact cost depends on your state and how you order them. For example, the cost of extra death certificate copies from the funeral home is probably different than the cost of copies from the office of vital statistics or the state’s website. You can make it easier to obtain death certificates quickly and affordably by having your funeral home or aquamation provider order several directly from the state office.

No matter what the reason you need a copy, there are a few different ways you can order a copy of a death certificate: through the funeral home that did the service or aquamation, in person at your state’s vital statistics office, or online at your state’s vital statistics website. It’s important to note that not just anyone can access death certificates and copies.

The only people that are eligible to get a copy of a death certificate are immediate family members like spouses, parents, children, siblings, or grandchildren or legal guardians, representatives, state agencies and federal agencies. You must submit proof of relation to the deceased when applying for a copy of a death certificate with your state’s registrar. Proof of relation could be a birth certificate, legal document, or a letter stating how the applicant has legal representation rights to the deceased. There are some cases in which someone needs a copy of a death certificate, but they are not one of the eligible relations. For example, a cousin of the deceased might be eligible for death benefits but cannot access the death certificate. In these instances, the person must ask an eligible person or party, like a life insurance holder, to request the death certificate for them.

There are a lot of different reasons why you might need a death certificate, but they all have to do with proving a death. Some of the most common reasons you would need a death certificate are to access insurance policies, Social Security, property ownership, Veteran’s benefits, safety deposit boxes, last will and testaments, post office accounts, bonds, stocks or brokerage accounts, pension plans, treasury bills, IRAs, and tax records.

We are here to help if you want to learn more about death certificates or Shelby, NC aquamation services. Call or visit us today for more information on what we can do for you.