Meaningful Ways to Help People in Mourning

Before and after Buckeye, AZ cremations, there are many meaningful ways that we can help and support people who are grieving over the death of their loved ones. We live in a society that puts a lot of emphasis on oversized gestures and, yet, most of us have only small gestures to offer. We make think they are too insignificant to bother with, so we end up not doing anything at all.

The reality is that when people are mourning, the small gestures and contribution make a big difference. They matter. Not doing them because of own perceptions of their irrelevance deprives the family of support and comfort and us of a genuine opportunity to serve and meet the needs of others.

One meaningful way to help people who’ve lost a loved one is to simply just show up. You won’t be in the way because grieving people need all the emotional support they can get. Don’t just show up in the beginning, but keep showing up in the weeks, months and years that follow the loss of a loved one. If you’re not in a position to physically be there, then call, text, or email the family members regularly to check in.

Another meaningful way to help people who are in mourning is to find a need and fill it. Bringing food is a traditional way to fill a need, especially when family members are coming in for the funeral. Pick a meal of the day you are getting food and drinks for. You can bring tea, coffee, juice, and milk, as well as cereal, yogurt, pastries, fruit, and granola bars for breakfasts. You can bring deli and vegetable trays with condiments, bread, chips, and bottled water for lunches. You can bring a main meal and a couple of side dishes with iced tea and bottled water for dinners. Don’t forget disposable plates, cups, flatware, and napkins to make meal cleanup easier.

Look around the house and yard. Help clean inside the house if it needs it. Mow and tidy up the yard if that’s a need.

But whatever you do, avoid asking, “What can I do to help?” or saying, “If you need anything, let me know.” Remember that you are talking to people who’ve just lost someone they love and who are on mental, physical, and emotional overload. They couldn’t tell you how to help or what they need if their lives depended on it, because they don’t know.

When helping a grieving family, don’t forget the little ones. Children are always part of the funeral process. They may be too young to even understand what’s going on. Or they may be old enough to sort of understand, but not in the way teens and adults would understand. Bring games and toys like Legos that can be put together. Offer to take the children to a park or an arcade or a movie for a few hours, both to give them a sense of normalcy and to give the adults a chance to focus without distraction on the most important tasks they’ve got laid out in front of them.

To learn more about helping people who are mourning after Buckeye, AZ cremations, our compassionate and experienced team at Simply Cremation & Funeral Arrangements can assist you. You can come to our funeral home at 16952 W. Bell Rd., #303, Surprise, AZ, 85374, or you can contact us today at (623) 975-9393.