What do families need their first year and first holiday season after the funeral? You might think that I am in a unique place to help our community figure this out. After all, this is my Dad’s first year in Heaven and our family’s first holiday season after his death. Yes, I am in a unique position to help answer this very important question, but I doubt you are expecting my answer.

  You see my honest answer is that I will not attempt to speak for all families. I am not even going to try to speak for everyone in my own family because what families need from you is not as easy as a universal checklist. Every family is unique.

  Each family you serve is one of a kind and every person in that family has a unique and, yes, personal relationship with each other and those they mourn. There is no universal answer to what families need from you in their first year and first holiday season after the funeral. There is only their universal need to heal.

  How can you help? For me, and so many like me, your first step is to realize that relationships do not end at death because love cannot die. This may be why my Dad’s poem “Merry Christmas From Heaven” is a tradition for so many families. The words that came to his heart in 1989 as a gift from his mom, my grand mom, transcend our family. For us, and every family we serve, my Dad’s poem is a tangible reminder that love lives forever in our hearts and those we love are forever a part of our lives.

  Death does not end relationships. It is true that we will not see my Dad at the head of the table this Thanksgiving. His favorite chair may look empty as we open our Christmas stockings. We might not even blame him for keeping Anne Murray on a permanent loop as our family celebrates our love and faith. This does not mean he is not there. My Dad will be with our family because his relationship with every one of us is alive.

  What can you do for the families you serve? Help them find their path to healing. True, there is no checklist. I can’t even give you the beginnings of a To Do list. All I can do is pray that you will find more ways to give every family you serve a tangible reminder that their relationship did not end because love cannot die.

  Turning to my dad’s poem, I ask you to please help every family you serve realize that the one they love is “still close beside them in a new special way.” In my heart this is one of those universal truths: Those we love live forever because love cannot die.

  Our relationships do not end at the funeral. Please reignite your mission to help each person you serve find their unique path to healing. I look forward to learning what the families you serve teach you about eternal love. Please give me a ring at 617-980-1728, email me at kristan@mooneytunco.com, or join the conversation on the Let’s Chat Blog: https://www.nomispublications.com/blog.aspx.