“Show me the manner in which a nation or a community cares for its dead. I will measure exactly the sympathies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals.” —William E. Gladstone

Why do we choose to have a funeral?

For thousands of years, funerals have been a means of expressing our beliefs, thoughts and feelings about the death of someone we love. In the United States today, over 2 million people pass away every year. Most are honored with some sort of ceremony that is arranged with the help of a professional funeral director.

The funeral service has come to fill two important roles in society today. First, it provides dignified and respectful care for the dead. Second, it provides a setting and an opportunity for family and friends to celebrate the life that has been lived. It is often difficult to know what to say, how to act, or how to begin to deal with our grief and loss. Sometimes it is difficult to say goodbye. The funeral is a way to bring people together, to help one another though the grief and difficulty of a loved one. It stimulates conversation, allows mourners to express their feelings with one another, and allows for the creation of support relationships that can assist the mourners with coming to terms with the loss. The funeral also begins to provide closure for the survivors, helping them to accept death. In this way, it can be said that a funeral service is truly for the living, as a vital start of the grieving process.