The Remembrance Process℠ Video

The Remembrance Process℠ captures the essence and importance of this human need, encapsulating the care-giving continuum before death through the farewell process with time-tested ways to help families move from grief to remembrance.

How To Deliver A Eulogy | Public Speaking

So, how do you deliver a eulogy?

This is a solemn occasion. It's obviously sad typically. But you are still there to give a presentation. It's not the time to get up and just start blubbering away.

It's not really helping people remember the person who just passed away any more effectively. Then it's about you if it's just you can't keep it together.

What I would recommend is focus on one or two of the qualities that people loved the most about that person. And then tell a story or two that really dramatizes that person's warmth. How they cared for people. What they contributed to the world, to their family and their friends.

Focus on that. You're not there to give the consummate biography of the whole person's life. You're not there to give an unbiased objective view of the person's life.

You're there to put a spotlight on what was special about this person. Why people loved this person and what you'll miss the most. If you do that you will give a great eulogy.

And I would recommend don't memorize it. It's already a tense situation. That tension is going to make it harder for you to recall. I wouldn't get up and read a big speech. If you want to have a few notes that's fine.

But realize this is not a test. This isn't a business PowerPoint presentation. This is a time for you to share from your heart what was special about this person. To make the other people there have fond memories.

Do that and it will be the best you can do in a tough situation.

Last Words: Talking About Death

In general, in the northern and western culture at least, we are uncomfortable talking about death. This is generally not a problem because there are many other topics to claim our attention. However, the lack of fluency in the language of death can become a problem when the real thing confronts us.

If death were a rarity, only experienced by a few, the fact of such a stumbling block would be a minor matter. Since it is not, since death will come eventually to each one of us and to people we love, it is regrettable to settle for being tongue-tied when other possibilities exist for us.

It begins with the use of the word "death" and its derivatives: died, dying, dead.

We have become a culture unused to such words when it comes to people. Plants die, legislation dies but people "pass" or "crossover." "He got bad news," we allow, or "she's losing ground," we say, as though the process of dying was something that could be exchanged the next day for good news or ground gained.

There are good reasons to learn to call death by its name:

• it can make it easier for others around us to broach the subject,
• it can be a concrete way to model for children that death is a part of the experience of this life,
• it can allow those who are dying to come in from the cold of our conspiracy of silence, and
• it can help us reclaim the end of life, at its beginning, as a time of opportunity.

One of life's truths is that times of crisis can open doors and create new options. This is true for the crisis embodied in approaching death. Many are the stories of mended relationships, the discovery of purpose and finally getting to a place of saying "I love you" right out loud when death draws near.

These things happen because the fact of death shakes us up and sometimes we need that in order to set appropriate priorities and seek to make the most of each day.

To talk about death is to talk about life, ultimately. It is to be open to the possibilities of the moment and to find perspective. It is a call to examine what each day brings and focus upon relationships. It is to acknowledge our mortality and in so doing, to find an opportunity to handle matters of meaning and truth.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6274035

Funeral Arrangements - Planning and Preparation

Here, I'll be outlining some general options for funeral arrangements when planning a burial or ceremony for your departed. There is a multitude of ways to go and this video only scratches the surface.

How To Write An Obituary

Losing a loved one is very painful, and through writing about their life can be an arduous task, it can also be a therapeutic and wonderful way to honor your loved one.

Step 1: Read other obituaries
Read other obituaries to get a feel for how obituaries are commonly formatted and what information is used. Use your local newspaper, for example.

Step 2: Determine the specifics
Determine your price range and deadline times by talking with your funeral director or with the local newspaper where it will run. Newspapers have strict deadlines and charge by column width, length, or word count. Once you've obtained that information, you can begin the creative process.

Step 3: Make a list
Make a list of the basic information about the deceased you'd like to include. Most obituaries include the full name, age, birth date, place of residence, partner's name, and where and when the memorial service will take place.

Tip
Avoid identity theft by withholding sensitive information in the obituary. Thieves can use gaps in reporting the death to steal birth certificates, social security numbers, and financial information.

Step 4: Make a second list
Create a second list of additional information. Some obituaries include the deceased's educational background, employment, birthplace, parents, children and grandchildren, pets, hobbies, accomplishments, organization affiliations, military service, and where people can send contributions or flowers.

Tip
Mention in the obituary if your family is having donations sent to an organization important to the deceased in lieu of flowers.

Step 5: Begin writing
Write the obituary by following the examples in your local paper and putting the pieces together one-by-one. Focus on the deceased's full and wonderful life, not their death.

Step 6: Revise
Revise your original draft once it's completed. Make any necessary changes and try to tighten up your writing.

Step 7: Proofread
Proofread your obituary thoroughly. You've put a lot of work into honoring your loved one, and you wouldn't want to ruin that work by misspelling one of their children's names. Now you can relax knowing that you've honored your loved one's life.

Did You Know?
The newspaper-obituary tradition began to flourish at the London Times under the editorship of John Thadeus Delane, who served at the British paper from 1841-1877.

The Journey Through Loss And Grief | Jason B. Rosenthal

In her brutally honest, ironically funny and widely read meditation on death, "You May Want to Marry My Husband," the late author and filmmaker Amy Krouse Rosenthal gave her husband Jason very public permission to move on and find happiness. A year after her death, Jason offers candid insights on the often excruciating process of moving through and with loss -- as well as some quiet wisdom for anyone else experiencing life-changing grief.

Memorial Service Guidelines - Things To Remember

A memorial service is similar to the funeral service, but the body is absent. It is sometimes necessary if the body is not available, or if many friends and family members were not able to attend the funeral.

Understanding Children In Grief

Children grieve in spurts. One moment they are sad and crying, other they are running around, laughing and playing. It is normal. Don't be fooled into believing that he or she is out of it. Just like for you, it takes time.

Left Behind... (A Spoken Word Poem About Losing A Loved One)

When a loved one passes it can feel like you are all alone so be sure to spend time with family or friends when you can, they will help you through it.