Do I Need to Go to the Memorial Service?

If you’re wondering if you should attend cremation services in Phoenix, AZ, the short answer is, “Yes.” Almost no one likes to go to memorial services. Some people are so skittish about going to memorial services that they make the effort to go to the funeral home, drive around the parking lot for several minutes trying to work up the nerve to go inside, and then end up leaving and not attending the memorial service at all.

Memorial services are not happy social occasions, unlike other social gatherings such as weddings, birthday parties, graduation parties and holidays where friends and family come together to enjoy the event.

However, attending memorial services is just as important as attending any of these other life events. As adults, we all have to handle the stark reality that death is part of life, not just in the case of the person who has died, but also, at some point, in our own lives.

It can be inconvenient to attend memorial services. Attending a memorial service may mean that you travel some distance. Attending a memorial service may mean that you have to request some time off of work or that you forgo another activity that was already scheduled. Attending a memorial might require you to change your evening routine and get a little less sleep than you are used to getting.

These are the sacrifices we make for the people we love and care about. They are sacrifices that you should endeavor to make because the purpose of memorial services is to show respect for and to pay tribute to someone who has died and to offer comfort and sympathy to a grieving family.

Sometimes a friend or a family member of a friend – or even a family member – lives so far away that they are not able to attend the memorial service in person. However, many people now livestream their loved ones’ memorial services, so if you can’t be at the memorial service in person, you should make every effort to attend it virtually.

You may hesitate to attend a memorial service because you were emotionally close to the person who died or you are emotionally close to the family of the deceased and you don’t think you can make it through the funeral without being an emotional wreck.

While you may be struggling with your own emotions and feelings of grief about the person who died, you should always keep in mind that no matter how emotional you may be feeling, the memorial service is about the deceased and their immediate family and that is where your attention and focus has to be when you are at the memorial service.

You will have to grieve for your loss after the memorial service, but it’s imperative for you to show up and be there for the grieving family during the memorial service.

If there is a viewing or visitation before the memorial service and that is part that impacts you most emotionally, then just attend the memorial service. However, you need to make sure that you send the bereaved family a personal and thoughtful sympathy card and a gift like a flowering plant to let them know that you’re thinking about them.

If you want to know more about cremation services in Phoenix, AZ, our compassionate and experienced staff at Simply Cremations & Funeral Arrangements can help.