Funerals fill an important role for those mourning the loss of a loved one. By providing surviving family members and friends a caring, supportive environment in which to share thoughts and feelings about death, funerals are the first step in the healing process.
The ritual of attending a funeral service provides many benefits including:
Providing a social support system for the bereaved.
Helping the bereaved understand death is final and that death is part of life.
Integrating the bereaved back into the community.
Easing the transition to a new life after the death of a loved one.
Providing a safe haven for embracing and expressing pain.
Reaffirming one's relationship with the person who died.
Providing a time to say good-bye.
It is possible to have a full funeral service even for those choosing cremation. The importance of the ritual is in providing a social gathering to help the bereaved begin the healing process.
