Bereavement is something that we will all face at some point in our lives. At the moment many people are facing this at a much higher rate than we usually see. Loss and grief are challenging emotions at the best of times. Losing someone that you love is always hard. Your grief comes in waves – sometimes if feels as if it will never end.
But right now there are added complications. You may not have been able to say goodbye to your loved one. The number of mourners you can have at the funeral are extremely limited and you are not allowed a wake afterwards to celebrate their life.
So, how on earth do you try to navigate through this and find a way to celebrate their life, find a way to say goodbye and find a way to grieve. I know that there are no easy answers, but I wanted to give some of my thoughts about how to find a way forward.
- Being able to say goodbye to someone is hugely important. If you are not able to see them in person it may be possible for staff at the hospital or care home to allow you to communicate with them using the technology that we have available today. This will allow you to say what you need to say, which is a very important part of the process.
- Although funeral numbers are limited you can allow people to join the funeral in other ways. Some crematoriums will allow you to stream the service so that others can watch it from their home. Now I appreciate that some people may not feel comfortable doing that – you need to do what is right for you but it is just an option.
- If you are not able to participate in the funeral you can find another way to mark the occasion – some people choose to light a candle or you may wish to buy some flowers. Or put up a picture of your loved one. You can choose what feels right to you.
- You can also decide to have a celebration of their life when this is over and people can meet up once again. But until that time you can remember them in your mind and celebrate their life in your own way.
For some people losing someone they love at this time will be far more challenging then usual. If that is the case for you please do not hesitate to contact me to see how I can support you at this time. Grief is a something that you need to go through, putting it on hold will not help. You will need to speak about how you feel – how unfair life feels and be able to express all the emotions that you feel – anger, sadness, guilt and many others.
Please click on my website link for more details and then contact me to see how I can help you at this time.
