The Importance of Saying Good-Bye

When a loved one dies, you may feel reluctant to go to the funeral service and prefer to mourn alone. Funerals sometimes make people uncomfortable for a number of reasons. You may feel uneasy about expressing your feelings publicly, or it may be jarring to see close relatives and friends crying openly. You may wonder, “What’s the point of going to a funeral service if it’s just going to make me feel sad?”

Modern western society seems to have an aversion to mourning and coming to terms with the concept of death. A funeral is an ancient symbolic ritual which offers a sense of closure and is a way to express common beliefs and feelings. Attending a funeral service presents an opportunity to say good-bye to a loved one and to celebrate his or her life.

How a Funeral Service Helps Begin the Healing Process

A funeral plays an important role in the healing process in a number of ways including:

• Allows you to express grief and mourn with others. Before a funeral, you may have been ‘numb’ with pain, or just going through the daily motions and trying to stay strong. A funeral creates a welcoming and inviting atmosphere for anyone who has known the deceased to mourn openly and collectively.
   
• Helps you come to terms with death. Sometimes it takes going to a funeral and physically seeing a casket for the idea of death to actually sink in. It also provides a sense of closure for loved ones.
   
• Celebrate life and reminisce together over fond memories. There may be things about your loved ones you never knew about and touching or humorous stories you’ve never heard about. Coming together with others to share memories can make you feel closer to the deceased.
   
• Allows others to pay respects. Often relatives and friends may not see each other for years. A funeral allows anybody who once knew and cared for the deceased to pay their respects.
   
• Take comfort in others. You may find it comforting to see the positive impact the deceased had on the lives of others. When you grieve together, you may also find strength in one another.
   
• Rebuilding your life. A death of a loved one is a traumatic event. A funeral helps begin the healing process by allowing you to reflect upon your self-identity and the role you play in your family and community. You are likely many things to many people such as friend, aunt, sister and daughter.

Wagg Funeral Home is here to serve you in Port Perry, ON. For questions about funeral services, call us at 905-985-2171, or contact us here.