Blogs

Short Guide to Keepsake Urns

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 14:54:08 GMT

Keepsake urns can make a wonderful choice for many families. Click here to learn more about these unique urns and if they are right for you and your family.

When shopping for your loved one’s urn , you may come across something called a keepsake urn. These urns are very popular and many families choose them for a variety of reasons, However, if you are not familiar with them you may not know if they are the best choice for you and your family. To help you decide, providers of cremation services in Cache Valley, UT . share more about these unique urns.

What is a Keepsake Urn?

Keepsake urns are urns that are much smaller in size. Their purpose is to hold just a portion of your loved one’s ashes so that they can be divided among several people. With standard urns coming in at a size of 200 cubic inches, keepsake urns are much smaller with only 50 cubic inches of space. There are even smaller keepsake urns that just have one single cubic inch of space.

What Are Keepsake Urns Made Of?

Just like standard sized urns come in a variety of material, it is the same with keepsake urns. Therefore they can be found being made from materials such as glass, stone, metal, and wood.

Where Do You Keep a Keepsake Urn?

Most people typically keep their keepsake urn on display in their home. This could be on a bookshelf, mantle or other piece of furniture. It could be located in the living room, home office, bedroom, or any other room they see fit.

Keepsake Urns You Can Wear

For families who would like something a little different, they might consider cremation jewelry. These pieces of jewelry are essentially very small keepsake urns. Depending on the piece of jewelry, the ashes will be located in different areas. For example, in a cremation pendant, the pendant is empty and acts as pouch where ashes will be poured into. With other pieces, such as bracelets, there may be a tube or chamber as part of the design that is filled with ashes.

Are Keepsake Urn Choices Limited?

You may think that since these type of urns are smaller and maybe not as common as standard display urns, the choices for designs may be limited. However, today there are tons of styles, designs, and choices to choose from when it coms to keepsake urns.

Special Considerations

It is very important to take into consideration your loved one’s religious beliefs and well as thoughts when it comes to separating and diving the ashes. Some religions, while they accept cremation, believe that remains should not be separated. Before dividing your loved one’s ashes into keepsake urns, consider their beliefs.

Final Thoughts

Keepsake urns can be a wonderful option for many families. Since the ashes can be divided, it is a nice option to allow several family members to each have a special piece of their loved one. Just make sure the act of dividing the ashes doesn’t go against any religious or personal beliefs of your loved one.

To learn more about keepsake urns as well as cremation services in Cache Valley, UT., give us a call or come by anytime. Our knowledgeable and compassionate staff is here to help answer any questions and concerns you may have.

Melinda's and Grieving

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 01:42:22 GMT

Where Did Everyone Go?

My Mother-In-Law could feel very lonely ..and sometimes she does.

Her spouse died 18 years ago. Her siblings are all gone, (she is the youngest of 11) and her friends are leaving her as well. At age 86 she looks around and sometimes asks, “Where did every body go?”

We can be lonely sitting in a room full of people or all by ourselves. It’s not the amount of people around us…it’s our thoughts about it that create the lonely feeling.

Most days my MIL doesn’t have lonely thoughts.

She has made up her mind to seek out people.

Before Covid she would go many times a week to a nearby Smiths, not really to shop but to say “Hi” to people and to see who she could smile at, and looking for someone she knows.

She still does this a little.

But now, as much as the weather allows, she sits out on her swing in front of her home and waves to cars and says, “Hi” to passersby. Neighbors and family and ward members know she is on her swing waiting for a friend, so she gets many visitors. And if she doesn’t get the human kind, she has colored bird feeders in the nearby tree, and animal sculptures scattered around that keep her entertained.

I’m pretty impressed with her.

She has let it be known that she wants visitors and so she gets them. And when she doesn’t, she doesn’t make it mean anything about her. She enjoys her alone time.

Loneliness is a feeling that is caused by our thoughts.

Thoughts are powerful.

It’s easy to fall into the nobody remembers me, nobody wants to be around me, everybody has friends but me, everybody has something to do but me, nobody is lonely but me thought trap… but why have those thoughts?

Next time you feel lonely- just remind yourself- “I’m feeling lonely because of a thought I’m choosing to think."

You can feel lonely if you want to. Your body can handle it. Don't avoid it or stuff it down. Just feel it.

But.... you can also choose something else.

We are all having a human experience and sometimes that feels like abundance and sometimes it fells like lonely….and it’s all okay.

Take Care,
Melinda

P.S. I would love to talk with you www.melindawelchcoaching.com

Honor Your Loved One With a Memorial Wall

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 14:43:55 GMT

Creating a memorial wall for your loved one is wonderful way to honor and pay tribute to them. Learn more about these special tributes and how to create one.

After services from funeral homes in Cache Valley, UT . many families wish to create a tribute in honor of their loved one. Some families may choose something big such as donating a bench to a local park, while others may do something smaller such as creating a scrapbook. If you would like a unique way to honor and remember your loved one, consider creating a memorial wall .

What is a Memorial Wall?

If you are not familiar with what a memorial wall is, it is simply a wall or space that is dedicated to your loved one’s memory. Most often these walls are seen in people’s living rooms or along staircases, but can be located anywhere in the home.

They typically are created with photographs of the deceased as well as other special items such as plants, candle, or personal mementos. It can be as large or as small as you wish.

What You Need

Creating a memorial wall is very easy as it does not require a lot of supplies. What you need to have are:

Picture frames - for framing the photographs
Photographs - favorite images of your loved one
Ruler - to measure the space between the pictures when hanging
Nails - to secure pictures to wall
Hammer - to drive nails into wall
Pencil - to mark where pictures should be hung
Extras - shelves, crosses, or other wall décor you would like to include

How to Create the Wall

Creating the wall is easy. To start, place the photographs into the picture frames. Then, lay out all of the pictures on the floor. Also, make sure to include any extras in the layout you might be adding such as shelves or crosses. Take some time and arrange everything in a pattern that you like. This will be the same pattern that will then be on the wall. Arranging everything on the floor this way first give you the ability to change and switch the pictures and other elements around easily without damaging the wall. This way you can ensure you get the perfect pattern before you start adding nails into the wall.

When you have the pattern decided., it’s time to secure the pictures to the wall. It is easiest if you start from the center and work your way out. So, choose a center picture and secure to wall. You will then take the next picture and attach to the wall. Repeat the process until all pictures and extra elements are secured.

It is important that you hang each picture an equal distance from one another. This will give the wall an organized and put together look rather than one that is just cluttered or looks messy. To do this, use your ruler and pencil to mark where pictures should be hung as you go along. A good rule of thumb is to have about 2 inches of space in between each item.

After your loved one’s services from funeral homes in Cache Valley, UT, creating a wall such as this can be a lovely tribute.

Keep These Things in Mind When Choosing an Urn

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 14:30:16 GMT

Choosing an urn for your loved one can be a very daunting task. Click here as we discuss some key factors to keep in mind when making this important choice.

Purchasing an urn for your loved one’s remains can be a very daunting task. Afterall, there are so many styles designs, and material to choose from, how do you know which one is right? Don’t worry. Providers of cremation services in West Valley City, UT . cover what to keep in mind when choosing your loved one’s urn.

Start with the Size

Many people are under the impression that urns are “one size fits all”, but that is not the case. Urns actually come in sizes and which one you choose is important. This is because you want to make sure you get an urn big enough to house all of your loved one’s remains.

To determine what size urn you should purchase, you need to know about how much your loved one weighed at the time of passing. This is because for each pound of body weight, one cubic inch of space will be needed. This means that if your loved one weight 185 pounds, you will need to purchase an urn of 185 cubic inches or more of space.

Choose the Material

The next element of the urn you will need to consider is what material it is made from. Urns can be found made from stone, glass, ceramic, wood, and metal. Each material has its own set of characteristics that might make it better suited for certain environments than others.

For example, wooden urns are extremely durable but can warp if exposed to sunlight over time. Metal urns are study but can be easily scratched and some are prone to rusting. When you meet with your urn provider, make sure to discuss the materials and what unique qualities they each have so that you can make the best choice .

Location of the Urn

Because different urn materials may be better suited for certain environments, it’s important you consider the location of where the urn will be placed. For example, if you want to place the urn in sunny room in your home, a wooden urn may not be the best choice since, when placed in direct sunlight, it can warp and crack over time.

Another example is if you are going to bury the urn or keep it in a columbarium niche. Certain cemeteries and cremation gardens may have specific polices on what types of urns are allowed.

Pay Attention to the Dimensions

Nothing is worse than selecting the perfect urn for your loved one and the perfect resting space only to have the urn not fit because it’s too tall or wide. Always make sure you know the size of the resting place so that you can ensure the urn will fit safely in that space. Dimensions to note are the location’s height, width, and depth.

Final Thoughts

Selecting the perfect urn for your loved one after their cremation services in West Valley City, UT, can be a dauting task. Although it can be great that there are so many options , it can also make the decision very overwhelming. Just make sure to keep these things in mind, take your time, and you will find just the right one.

Grief is Praise

duda@aftercare.com (Tukios Websites) — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 16:28:59 GMT

--by Martin Prechtel , syndicated from northatlanticbooks.com , Jun 01, 2019

The following is an excerpt from The Smell of Rain on Dust by Martín Prechtel. In his book, Prechtel explains that the unexpressed grief prevalent in our society today is the reason for many of the social, cultural, and individual maladies that we are currently experiencing. He goes on to show how this collective, unexpressed energy is the long-held grief of our ancestors manifesting itself, and what work can be done to liberate this energy so we can heal from the trauma of loss, war, and suffering.

-- Marina Snyder

Grief expressed out loud, whether in or out of character, un-choreographed and honest, for someone we have lost, or a country or home we have lost, is in itself the greatest praise we could ever give them. Grief is praise, because it is the natural way love honors what it misses.

I don’t know why I’m always so surprised, in this day and age, with so many possibilities and choices at their fingertips, how people, who having lived for so many generations, so distant from any semblance of the old wisdoms known to their ancestors about what the living should be doing when someone dies, will so wildly and emotionally defend the unemotional flatness and spiritual vacuum they have come to live in and accept a repressed lack of expression as a normal existence, coming to its defense with more energy than it would actually take to have a tangibly good custom of storytelling, weeping, and active grief, as if such sanity were some backwards barbarity!

One night a little while back I remember how a very Midwestern friend called me the day his old-time mother had passed quietly away. Because he had been on good terms with her, and because his father was already dead, he as the oldest son had been put in charge of the funeral proceedings, as was his family’s custom.

The entire extended family including himself had been raised to be very “stoic” Lutheran Christians, and excepting himself, all of them were still governed by that kind of “minimalist” Northern European ethos.

Nonetheless, my friend, though he loved his people, had over the years become somewhat more adventurous and called himself an “alternative person,” which translated to his relatives as “overly dedicated to diversity”!

He had listened to recordings of my talks on grief and had attended some lectures and conferences, and in keeping with what was taught there regarding the welfare of both the living and the spirit of the deceased, he wanted to make certain he was doing everything possible during that strange trancelike place that happens after someone close dies, to see that his dead mother was well grieved, mourned, and “sent on” in a good way to the “next” world.

He wanted my advice and direction to make sure he wasn’t overlooking anything. She was lying in state in a little mortuary chapel in his hometown and would be buried the following afternoon at the direction of the same Protestant minister who had always been the family’s old-time minister.

“Well,” I replied, feeling that I would probably be too overtly pagan to have any advice of mine remotely embraced by his American-born Scandinavian flatlander relatives as anything proper and real, “if it were me, the first thing I would do would be to feed the soul of the dead and to spiritually notify your mother’s last happy ancestor in the other world to get ready to receive her. The problem, I said, is that all of this generally involves the entire family, as it needs everyone and should be a group effort.

“The next main thing is a fire has to be kept going gently, nonstop, without ever flagging. If a fire can’t be had, then burn seven candles in front of her body. When one gets low, add another to it. The soul of the dead needs the people to care about them, out loud, but in such a way as to make sure their spirit doesn’t linger about. Your mother’s soul needs to start to travel to her new ‘home’ away from here. To do this the spirit needs to ‘ride’ the story of her people’s origins back to their spiritual origination place ancestrally. She will get to that place of origin by someone singing or speaking the story of their origins from the beginning all night long from sundown to sunup. This is called paddling home. The sun should rise just as the story of her passing is added on to the old story.

“Typically this story is told as two people prepare the body, by meticulously binding up the midriff and groin of the dead with a continuous hand-spun cotton thread which is wound around and around as the story of origins, her life, and death are told—ending at sunup. This thread is the story, and the deceased is ‘bound’ into it to carry the soul home.”

“Martín?” he interrupted.

“Yes,” I said.

“I can tell you right now, I’m pretty darn sure they’re not going to go for any of that.”

“Well, just see what they say and call me if you need any help.”

Two hours later he called me:

“No one will help with the story, forget the thread—and after an hour of arguing, my mother’s sister said one candle might be alright. What do I do now?”

“Then, you’re going to have to tell the whole story by yourself. Get a beautiful bead, tie a string through it like a fishing weight. Call the bead the ‘belly button of time,’ light the candle at sundown, and begin to slowly wind the thread around the bead like a ball of yarn as you begin to tell the tale of all your mother came from: the whole story. Don’t worry if you forget anything, just keep going. If you get stuck just begin to sing her favorite songs, best as you can, then go ahead with the story—always winding the ball of thread with the bead as the core. If you begin to cry, let her loose, don’t hold back the tears; then when you’re ready as soon as you can, begin to sing, then go ahead and keep on telling the tale. Keep the one candle burning all night. When the Father Sun begins to crown onto the horizon, commend your mother’s spirit to him and add on the story of her passing. At that point stop winding the ball of string, put your breath on this ball and hide it in a pocket. Before the burial takes place that afternoon, put the ball into the coffin before they close it. When you all get to the grave and they start piling on the earth then begin your real heartfelt weeping, and sing. Sing and weep with honor. Sing your mother on home.”

“Alright, Martín, I’ll do my best, since its only me.”

I gave him my blessing and that was that. I didn’t hear any more that night or the next day or the next, but three days later I got a call.

“Well, how was it then for you and your mother?” I asked.

“My relatives thought it mighty barbaric to have a candle there; it had never been done they said, but all in all the night part went pretty much like you said. That went okay.

“But the next day, during the funeral, when I threw in my ball of string before they closed the lid, things started heating up. But nothing as hot as when we got to the cemetery and I began weeping as they began to throw dirt on the coffin and fill the grave.

“I tried to step up for my mom, Martín; I think you’d have been proud of me. I kept on weeping, and shaking then singing as they buried her away, and as the earth began to cover her, my people wanted to leave, but I didn’t want to. I couldn’t stop crying; it just came right out of me like a broken dam and was flowing so well I dropped to my knees and shook and wept and sang some more. People were running around and kept asking my relatives what was wrong with me, and my aunties kept asking me if I was alright, and this all went on of course until the ambulance arrived. I didn’t know who it was for, but it turned out it was for me!

“They tried to haul me away, convinced I’d lost my marbles and needed some drugs, but I just kept on weeping. The minister had called the ambulance; he thought I was sick and had gone overboard.

“Finally I let them take me to the local clinic. I didn’t really care because it felt so good to weep, and in the end they just let me go when I cooled off.

“I asked my relatives why an ambulance was called. They said, ‘You were crying and shaking and singing. You looked like you were in terrible distress!’

“‘That wasn’t going to bring your mother back,’ they said.

“I wasn’t crying to bring her back. I was weeping to help her get where she was going faster and easier. Then I told them how you had advised that grief was a good thing for both the dead and the living. You could’ve heard an ant sneeze it got so silent.

“Then my auntie spoke up and said, ‘Well, you can’t blame us, no one ever wept at a funeral, much less a man. We didn’t know what you were doing.’

“Well, Martín, I feel good about it and thank you but that’s what grief gets you in the Midwest: an expensive ride in an ambulance!”

Grief is praise of those we have lost. Our own souls who have loved and are now heartbroken would turn to stone and hate us if we did not show such praise when we lose whom we love. A non-fake grieving is how we praise the dead, by praising that which has left us feeling cold and left behind. By the event of our uncontrolled grief, wail, and rap, we are also simultaneously praising with all our hearts the life we have been awarded to live, the life that gave us the health and opportunity of having lived fully enough to love deep enough to feel the loss we now grieve. To not grieve is a violence to the Divine and our own hearts and especially to the dead. If we do not grieve what we miss, we are not praising what we love. We are not praising the life we have been given in order to love. If we do not praise whom we miss, we are ourselves in some way dead. So grief and praise make us alive.

Steps for Planning a Funeral

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 14:14:09 GMT

Planning a funeral for your loved one can feel overwhelming. Click here as we break down the steps to help make the planning process a little more manageable.

When a loved one passes away, you may be left having to handle many things. One of these things is planning their arrangements with funeral homes in West Valley City, UT . This can be a very difficult time and trying to plan such services can feel overwhelming. To help make this process a little easier, here are some steps to follow for planning the services .

Decide the Type of Service

The first decision you will need to make is determining what type of services or services you would like to hold. If your loved one had a preference that they made known, this step will be easier. However, is they did not voice their wishes, you will need to choose. Make sure to keep their preferences in mind such as if they had any religious affiliations that require certain services such a funerals. Also, think about other services such as wakes, visitations viewings and graveside services . You might also wish to hold a funeral reception after the service.

Select the Location

After you know what service you would like to hold, you will need to decide on the location. Most funerals are held at the funeral home or a church but you can host this service wherever you wish. Some families choose to hold it a family member’s home or even a local park, school, or garden.

Appoint an Officiant and Speakers

The service will need an officiant or “master of ceremonies”. If the service is religious, this officiant is often a religious leader. In the case of a more secular service, this could be a family member or close friend. Whoever you decide, the person in this role will keep the service moving along and give remarks such as a welcome and introduction as well as closing remarks.

Other than the officiant, you will need to consider who will be speaking at the service. Most often time the speakers are family and will be responsible for things such as:

Delivering the eulogy
Reciting any special readings
Reading the official obituary

Details of the Service

Once the main elements of the service have been planned, it is time to think about the details and extra elements of the service. These things include:

Choosing the flowers
Selecting a guestbook
Gathering photos and personal items for a memorial table
Deciding on funeral favors for the guests
Designing and printing the memorial program
Selecting any music selections

Things to Keep in Mind

This is going to be an extremely difficult time . Don’t try and do this all alone. Make sure you enlist others to help you with the planning of these and all services. You can have certain family members in charge of certain tasks so you can be confident everything is getting handled.

Also know that as directors of funeral homes in West Valley City, UT, we are here to help you in this process. Our number one goal is making sure your needs are met with care and compassion as you try and meet the needs of your loved one.

Why Choose Cremation?

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 14:53:35 GMT

SereniCare Funeral Home talks about cremation in Sandy, UT and some of the advantages it can offer families over a traditional ground burial.

Many families may choose cremation services in Sandy, UT for themselves or a loved one for various reasons. Some of these reasons include having more options for their remains, being able to have more time to plan services, and having a more budget-friendly option. If you are considering cremation, let’s look at cremation more in depth and see if this service might be right for you or your family.

What is Cremation?

First, let’s talk briefly about what cremation is. Cremation is a form of body disposition that is an alternative to a ground burial. In the past cremations were not as popular or as widely accepted. However, in recent times, cremation services have become very popular and are often now chosen over more traditional ground burials .

The cremation process begins when the bod is taken to crematory, Here all the paperwork will be filled out and signed. Then, the body will be placed into a cremation container which is like a casket. The body and the cremation container will then be placed in the cremation chamber and, with the use of very high heat, will be reduced to minerals and bones. These remains are the ashes that are then returned to the family.

Why Choose Cremation?

As stated above, there are many aspects to cremation that families are drawn to. These include:

Having more options for the remains : With ground burials, families have a limited number of locations and options to place their loved one. However, with cremation the options are plenty. Some of the resting places families can choose are columbarium niches, a family member’s home, cremation garden, and even burial. If the family wishes to scatter the ashes there are even more options as they can be planted with a tree, sent into space, made into a living coral reef, or even turned into a diamond. You can see that with cremation, the options are endless.

Having more time to plan services : When the body is cremated, there is no worry about it decomposing, Because of this, it allows families as much time as they need to plan services afterwards. This can be very beneficial to those who want time to save more money for a bigger service, or those who have family who live far and need additional travel time to be able to attend a service.

Having a budget-friendly option : Cremation is the least expensive option families can choose. This makes it a wonderful option for those families on a smaller or limited budget, It can also be helpful if the family wishes to spend more money on other aspects such as a memorial service.

Final Thoughts

Although ground burials will always be a common choice, cremation services in Sandy, UT. are being chosen more and more by individuals and families. With the advantages it can offer such as having more options for the remains, allowing more time to plan services , and being a less expensive option, it is no wonder why it is becoming more commonly chosen.

Preplanning: Don’t Make These 3 Big Mistakes

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 14:42:25 GMT

Make sure you preplan your final arrangements the right way and avoid these commonly made mistakes. Click here to learn what they are and how to avoid them.

If you are preplanning your funeral arrangements with funeral homes in Sandy, UT , know that you are doing something truly wonderful for your family. Although preplanning your final arrangements may be uncomfortable to some, it is one of the most loving acts you can show towards those around you.

Since these are not plans we tend to arrange every day, many people make some mistakes along the way which can cause the preplanning to be less effective. Luckily, with a little attention, these mistakes can be avoided. Let’s look at what these are now so you can be sure you do not make them.

1. Not Knowing all the Options

One great advantage of preplanning your arrangements is so that you can have everything the way you want it to be. You can decide on what type of service you would like, any personal elements, last wishes, casket design , you name it. However, many people make arrangements without fully knowing or looking into all of their options.

For example, if you are going to be buried, you may automatically just think of a typical burial plot that is in the ground. But there are other options that are above ground such as a crypt. Or maybe you just assume a funeral service is the way to go, but have you heard about or considered a celebration of life event?

Make sure you take the time now to research and learn about all of your options available so that you can make the best decision for what you would like.

2. Not Considering Family Needs

This may seem odd since by the act of preplanning you are already taking your family’s needs into consideration, but stay with us. Many times when people are preplanning they are making decisions based on their own needs. While this is completely understandable since it is their last wishes, they may miss an opportunity to provide their family with something they may truly need once they are gone.

An example of this could be is you are preplanning and feel that a visitation service is not something you feel necessary. You may feel it is just an added expense that you could do without. However, at the time of your passing, a visitation service could be extremely beneficial to those left behind. These services can help people come together for support, and help people accept the death and start to heal. Don’t overlook the importance of such services to your family.

3. Not Informing Your Family of the Plans

While this seems like a no-brainer, you need to make sure you let your family know about the plans you have made. Some people may have the best intentions of informing their family but get busy or simply put it off too long and forget. Even if you make wonderful detailed plans, if your family is not aware of them, it won’t do any good at the time of your passing,. Make sue you let your family know what plans you made as well as with who and where all contracts and other important documents are located.

If you would like more information on preplanning your arrangements with funeral homes in Sandy, UT.,, lets us now as we are always here to help.

Is a Celebration of Life Service Right for Your Loved One?

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 14:34:20 GMT

Many families are choosing to hold a celebration of life service after their loved one’s cremation in Salt Lake City. Learn more about this unique event here.

After your loved one’s cremation services in Salt Lake City, UT you may decide to hold a service in their honor. One of the most common service is a memorial service. This is much like a funeral service only that it is held after the cremation with the ashes of the deceased may or may not being present.

While memorial services are wonderful options for many families, there is a new type of service that is gaining in popularity called a celebration of life. Like memorial services, these celebration of life events are typically held after the cremation but the tone and way they are held can differ greatly from a funeral or memorial service. Today we are going to dive deeper into these services and see what makes them so unique.

Overall Mood

The biggest difference between a celebration of life event and another more traditional type of service is the overall mood and atmosphere of the service. With funeral and memorial services tending to be more solemn in nature, celebration of life events are more like a party.

The mood of these events is more happy and celebratory. Instead of seeing faces with tears and sadness such as a funeral, you may see faces with smiles and hear laughter. This is because these event are a celebration of the deceased and their life. It is meant to be a joyous occasion.

Location

Another noticeable difference with a celebration of life event is the location it might be held. While they can certainly be hosted in locations where funerals and memorial services take place such as churches and funeral homes, celebration of life events have the freedom to also be held at more unconventional locations. Some of these may include a favorite restaurant of the deceased, a bar or pub, sports stadium, coffee shop, the lake or a beach. Pretty much anywhere you can have a party, you can have a celebration of life event.

Order of Service

While funerals and memorial services tend to have a very formatted order of service, celebration of life events can be more organic in nature. With that being said, some families may still choose to have a formatted order of service. That’s what is so nice about these services is that they are so flexible in how they can be held.

For example, some families may choose to hold them just as a memorial service with elements such as the welcome/introduction, readings, music selections, eulogy given, etc. Other families may choose to have just one or two of these elements, while other families may choose not to have any.

Final Thoughts

While funerals and memorial services will always be a popular option, it is nice to know that families now have another choice. Although celebration of life events may not be right for some families, for other families, it may be the absolute perfect choice. Once your plans have been arranged , you and your family can rest easy knowing at the time of death, final decisions have been made.

If you would like to learn more about the services available after your loved one’s cremation services in Salt Lake City, UT., please feel free to reach out anytime as we are always here and available to help .

Our Relationships Can Live On

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 16:26:54 GMT

This weekend is my nephew Hayden’s wedding.

His mom, (my sister) passed away 7 years ago along with my dad. My mom went to heaven 9 years ago. It’s easy to approach events like this wedding wishing my sister and my parents could be there and feeling sad that they aren’t. But then I decided to believe they are with us.

I don’t need anyone’s permission to believe this and there is no downside. When I think about my sister and my parents being with us, I feel connected. It’s a little bittersweet but far more sweet than bitter. And when we go to our Bear Lake reunion in August, they come with us. Of course they do. If this feels good to you, I hope you’ll borrow my way of thinking.

Even death can’t take away our ability to choose the way we think about our loved ones.

Our relationships can continue to grow stronger. It’s a choice.

Take care,

Melinda

melindawelchcoaching.com

Losing a Spouse: Online Grief Support That Can Help

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 14:17:22 GMT

Losing a spouse can be devasting. Don’t try to work through your grief alone. Click here as SereniCare Funeral Home shares where you can find support online.

Losing a loved one can be one of the hardest things we ever have to endure. When that loved one is a spouse, the loss can feel devastating. Feelings of sadness, anger, and even fear can take over and leave us feeling overwhelmed. It is in this time that finding support can be so important. With the right support, you can learn how to work through and process your grief and begin to learn how to navigate this new way of life. Directors of funeral homes in Salt Lake City, UT share where you can find this support.

Social Media

Turning to social media for your grief support may not be your first thought, but you can find some solid support on some social media platforms. One of these is Facebook groups. Facebook groups are created by other users of Facebook and range from a wide variety of topics. They serve as a place where users can come together, share comments, post thoughts, and help each other along.

While there are many general grief Facebook groups, there are also hundreds that are specially for the loss of a spouse. Joining one of these groups can give you a connection with others who are feeing what you are.

Blogs

Another resource that may be helpful is finding blogs related to losing a spouse. Most of these blogs have been created by other people who are talking about their own journey with losing their spouse, or counselors and others who offer grief support.

These blogs typically have articles covering the grieving topic as well as a place for visitors to leave comments so they can connect with one another. Some blogs may even have a forum that is like a chat room so that you can connect on a deeper level with the other visitors.

YouTube

YouTube is the most popular search engine after Google. It has become this way because there is a myriad of videos available. By performing a search for grief support , you can find a wide range of videos from professionals offering tips and advice as well as other users sharing their story. Typically the video post will allow visitors to comment so that you can connect with other users as well as with the person who posted the video.

Online Support Groups

If you are looking for more professional support, there are many online support groups available. These can be seen being offered by churches, professional counselors, as well as other counseling providers. Pre-Planning will eliminate unnecessary stress brought on by a loved one’s passing.

These groups could be set up as a Facebook group where you simply post and comment when you wish, or they could be held at a set time and date over video conferencing software such as Zoom.

After your spouse’s services from funeral homes in Salt Lake City, UT., it is going to take a while to know how to work through this new reality. Finding support in this time can help immensely with working through and processing everything you are feeling in a healthy way.

Yes, Grief Fog is Real

Sun, 08 May 2022 16:26:00 GMT

And while it shows up differently for each of us, its presence is pretty much universal.

Perhaps you never misplaced your car keys before...and now they are showing up in strange places.

Or you are in the middle of a conversation and can’t remember what you were even saying.

Or you were able to keep tasks organized in your mind and now you have to write every little thing down.

You’ve missed appointments…

Forgotten important dates…

Had to pay late fees on a bill you thought you had paid.

Yes these things happened a little bit before your person died but now it’s your new normal.

Essentially, the executive functioning part of your brain (pre-frontal cortex) is overwhelmed and unable to perform at its usual capacity. Thankfully this is all normal.

When you notice yourself in a state of Grief Fog, don’t try to think your way out of it. This just uses more bandwidth in the already overloaded part of your brain and makes things worse.

Instead… relax.

Take a walk.

Do something unrelated to the problem you’re trying to solve.

Have a little laugh and speak kindly to yourself.

And if you’re noticing emotions & feeling and wanting to stop them… don’t.

Instead, name the emotion and let it be there. It can’t hurt you. It’s just a vibration caused by a cascade of neurochemicals and It will pass.

While the timeline on Grief Fog varies, don’t worry about this part of grief. Laugh about it as much as possible… You will recover from this loss and so will your brain.

Take care,

Melinda

melindawelchcoaching.com

Tears and Joy 28 Years Later

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 20:20:54 GMT

Grief can be awesome, beautiful and holy. It means you've successfully loved so deeply that you now get to grieve this person who has passed. We are often afraid to expose our grief, so we hold back the inner emotions within us. Instead of running from tears, we should allow them to surface. It's natural, healing and a sign of healthy affections.

How do you grieve in the best way?

1. Don't put a time line on it. Don't wrap it in a box and hope it looks a certain way. Grief is very individualized.

2. Relax into grief. Relax into the emotion. Your body can handle this emotion and likely needs to process. You don't have to react or resist or push against it. You can handle it, It's not intolerable, so surrender into the feelings grief exposes.

3. Remember the people around you want to help because they love you. Decide that these people are coming from a place of love, However, they don't know what to do to help unless you tell them. They likely haven't often dealt with this situation either. Tell them what you need and how to best to support you.

This experience at the gravesite of Alex's brother was beautiful and sweet experience as we stood in that cemetery in Sao Paolo. I'm grateful to be able to sing a teary Happy Birthday in Portuguese with Alex and his parents as they reflected on their love. Their love and grief was palpable even 28 years later.... and remarkably sadness once felt, turned to joy.

If you need help around the process of grieving for a loved one you're missing, or something else that is going on in your life...please reach out.

Tchau,

Melinda

Mother's Day

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 16:39:57 GMT

Hey friend,

My thoughts drift to my mom very easily.
‍
Between Mother’s Day, my mom’s birth and death, you’ll find me watching old family videos, scanning photos and reading and remembering her history.

Much of this brings on tender tears.
It’s been eight years since my mom passed and in these years I have learned a few things about grief.

Feel all of your feelings. Don’t run from, avoid, push down, distract, fight against or be mad about feelings. Just feel them. Our bodies are created to do this and can handle it. So surrender and relax into the pain.
Stay in the clean pain. There’s clean pain and there’s dirty pain. Clean pain comes from thoughts like I love her, I miss hugging her, I wish she was here so I could speak with her.
It’s called clean pain because it’s helpful and necessary when dealing with a loss.
The problem is when we move into dirty pain. That would look something like, this thing happened so my life will never be good again. Or, this happened and it’s not fair. It’s the difference between feeling pain from love vs. feeling pain coming from resistance or injustice.
This is all part of the human experience.

Once I relaxed into grief and made it my companion, my days got better. I wasn’t running from it, or hoping it would end soon. I wasn’t waiting to get through it or over it. It just was. Grief over a person or any loss in your life can feel pretty crappy….and guess what?

That’s how it’s supposed to feel.

It’s the price we pay for loving so much. Melinda

P.S. You may go to Melinda’s website to sign up for a FREE session to see how life coaching can help you heal. Just mention “SereniCare” to Melinda to receive the session for at no cost to you. melindawelchcoaching.com

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Losing a Spouse: Online Grief Support That Can Help

Losing a spouse can be devasting. Don’t try to work through your grief alone. Click here as SereniCare Funeral Home shares where you can find support online.

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Blogs

YouTube

Online Support Groups

Yes, Grief Fog is Real

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