Stuck in the Moment

Dear Funeral Director:

I have been struggling after my mother’s passing a few months ago and have been looking for a way to get support. Do you have any programs that you recommend, host or sponsor?

Sincerely,

Marilyn Q.
Stamford, CT

Dear Marilyn,

Great question. Although we haven’t hosted or sponsored specific grief support programs, we are always here to help. Supporting grieving people is the foundation of our profession. The services of a funeral director act as the initial steps of a long journey toward grief resolution and eventual acceptance. The grieving process is often described as “work” and it can often be physically and emotionally exhausting, but there are no shortcuts or end arounds. People try to deny their grief or avoid going through the grieving process, but if unresolved, grief will manifest itself down the road and can adversely affect your health, personal relationships and overall well-being. Once the funeral services are completed, directors are there to offer “aftercare” to families by providing information and suggesting professionals who specialize in helping people affected by varying degrees of grief. We also provide links to grief support resources and related information on our website: http://www.bosakfuneralhome.com/grief-and-healing
Here are just two examples of the many web resources committed to helping people cope with their grief:

http://www.griefshare.org This site’s mission statement is, “Grief Share is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. You don’t have to go through the grieving process alone.”

http://www.griefjourney.com The website states, “Because there is so little understanding of grief and loss in our ‘death denying culture’, people often fear they are ‘losing it’, or ‘going crazy’. When they understand that grief is a natural, albeit difficult, experience, this fact can free the person to explore their reactions and feelings by giving them ‘permission’ to grieve”.

Thank you so much for this question.

Best,
Leonard W. Santora, LFD