What Comes After Death: Making Arrangements
The funeral began the healing.
The mom of a daughter who died at age 9 from cancer talks about how they wanted the funeral to be positive, not depressing, a celebration. She describes elements of the funeral service. “I let Lydia’s voice ring out reading a book about how much she loved life.” People put roses on the coffin and a party and the kids sang and danced to her favorite song. “It didn’t seem like a dark place. It was a celebration. It was a good way to start off the grieving process.”
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Cremation and burial: We’re not quite ready to bury the urn but that is the plan.
The post-mortem debrief: We were grateful for the opportunity to ask questions and find healing.
A mom - "My mom initiated conversations about plans for arrangements after the death."
Because we got to do it twice, we learned what we wanted from the first time. It was so draining to carry other people's sadness.
People need to do what feels right to them.
I didn’t plan anything.
We didn’t let ourselves think about the After, before.
The funeral began the healing.