June 2020

Page A8 JUNE 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A mymortuarycooler.com Are you state compliant? Time may be only a moment so keep a memory Necklace Urn Pendants for an Everlasting Keepsake. Urns hold a portion of the cremains. Sterling Silver and Gold pieces in stock. orders or catalog : www.cremationkeepsakes.com cremationkeepsakes@comcast.net 877-303-3144 CREMATION KEEPSAKES By Linda Findlay Aftercare Regularly provide updat- ed information about the resources that you find. All of these can serve to provide a life line of heal- ing and hope for your families. Because they are provided by you, it speaks volumes and is a display of your continued care and concern. A secondary benefit to staying connected to your families is that when the time is right, they will need you to remind them how important it is to create a celebration of life or remembrance for their loved one. It doesn’t matter that months have passed. Families do not have to be deprived of that most important op- portunity to memorialize their loved one and in- vite friends and family to share in doing so. Grieving families do not know what to do. I can- not emphasize enough how important it is to stay in touch with fami- lies. If you stay in touch with them, they can see that you are the one that they can lean on and who they can turn to. Remember, families don’t know that they could contact the funeral home about matters of grief. Now is as good a time as any to make every effort to keep yourself vis- ible in your community. You are the expert as the last re- sponder. Being the last responder offers you the unique opportunity to extend a solid, helpful response to the families who are left behind. I would like to share a special reading that captures a beautiful message for funeral directors, shared with per- mission from Cantor Alane S. Katzew. What Do We Do Now? When any one of us experiences a tragedy, we need a lifeline to hope and healing. Oftentimes those life lines are hard to identify – especially during this time of un- certainty and isolation. As the last responder, the fu- neral director can and often does become that life line for families. I believe that funeral directors can con- tinue to be that life line and beacon of hope. I believe that the funeral director is right where they need to be if they make themselves available to be that life line. Unfortunately, most people do not recognize the fu- neral director as the person they can turn to. I have worked with grieving families for over 30 years. I can’t count how many times I have suggested that a family member call the funeral director and the response I have gotten 100% of the time is, “I did not know I could.” With the mandatory isolation and lack of support for families, now, more than ever, is the time to let your families know that they can call you and that you are available to assist them with their grief. We do not have to sit idle, waiting for the mandatory guidelines to light- en or lift and go back to some sense of normalcy. Right now, you can reach out to families and offer a lifeline. Simple words of encouragement shared on your social media will go a long way. Encourage fami- lies to interact with your posts. Call families and offer your continued support. Ask them if there is anything more you can do for them. Find quality resources, on- line groups, grief support websites, and local and na- tional organizations. Many support groups have moved to an online plat- form, making themmore available than ever for grieving families. Families may also be more comfortable using an online support group. Sometimes when we are forced to use a new technology, it really is for the greater good. Linda Findlay is the founder of Mourning Discoveries, Grief Support Services. She is a 29-year career Aftercare Coordinator, a published author, and an advocate for bereaved families. She is the founder and co-creator of The Grief Cruises and managing partner with The International Grief Institute. Linda can be reached at 315-725-6132 or Lf6643@yahoo.com. Visit www.mourningdiscoveries.com, www.thegriefcruises.com or www.internationalgriefinstitute.com. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.nomispublications.com Monthly Columns online at Harper’s Community Funeral Home produces the play “Flanagan’s Wake” inside the Funeral Home The Flanagan’s Wake Cast David Rousculp NEW HAVEN,IN— David Rousculp , General Manag- er of Harper’s Community Funeral Home , direct- ed and produced the hilarious interactive play Flanagan’s Wake during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. They were able to perform three of the four planned shows before the COVID-19 restrictions forced the cancellation of the last show. All of the proceeds were donated to the Shepherd House for Veterans in Fort Wayne. “We had over 100 peo- ple a night coming in, having a beer, and laugh- ing their heads off. No two shows are the same because the audience par- ticipates in how Flanagan dies,” said Rousculp. Rousculp directed the improv actors to be fast on their toes and they were outstanding. Flana- gan’s Wake is the longest running show in Chica- go, where it originated. “We will do the show again next year during St. Patrick’s Day weekend and then maybe every year af- ter that,” said Rousculp. The funeral home had an Irish pub setting in another cha- pel where audience members could get a beer to set the Irish mood and sing a song or two. “Overall, it was well re- ceived, and many were disap- pointed we had to cancel the St. Patrick’s Day show. That’s a good sign and we are already planning next year’s event,” he said. Digital Directory Now Available Visit www.nomispublications.com Read the Funeral Home & Cemetery News Electronic Version Search the Online Directories Download instantly at www.nomispublications.com Save on Shipping!