Monthly Archives: June 2023

What Should You Write on Funeral Flowers

Knowing what to say to someone who has lost a loved one can be extremely difficult. Sending funeral flowers to be displayed at the service is one of the most common ways to express sympathy to someone you care about. People typically include a message with these flowers. The cremation services in College Park, MD would like to discuss the custom of sending funeral flowers with appropriate messages. This is extremely useful if you know someone who has recently experienced loss or if you want to be prepared the next time this happens.

The best funeral flower messages are brief, heartfelt, true to the deceased’s life, and appropriate for the occasion. You can address the message to the deceased or the family depending on your relationships and what feels right.

Funeral Flower Message Guidelines

Keep your message brief.

The family will most likely receive numerous notes and flowers in the days following their loved one’s death, which may be overwhelming. You don’t want to add to their anxiety by sending a long message that takes a long time to read and respond to.

Demonstrate compassion.

Funeral flowers are used to decorate a funeral, express your love for the deceased, and let the family know you’re thinking of them. A note of compassion can be extremely comforting to a bereaved family.

Personalize the message.

If possible, share a brief anecdote about the deceased to shed new light on them or to reveal a side of them that the family may not have been aware of. It may also help you through the grieving process to recall a particular moment with the deceased.

Use humor as long as it is appropriate and tasteful.

If the deceased was a known jokester, including some humor in your funeral flower message would not be inappropriate. However, use your best judgment and remember that the family may not be in the mood to laugh when they read your message.

Do not make the message religious if the family and the deceased are not religious.

While thinking about faith may be comforting at this time, if the deceased was not religious, the family may take offense if you mention it in your message.

Do not try to outdo everyone else.

This is not a competition, so don’t act like it. Your message should be sincere and personal. Don’t be concerned about other people’s messages, and don’t try to one-up or be the best .

Don’t forget to include a message.

Even if you intend to send the flowers anonymously, including a brief message of compassion and love is polite.

Do not discuss the cause of death.

Because the family knows how their loved one died, you do not need to draw attention to it in the funeral flower message.

Sending flowers is a traditional and heartfelt way to express your love and grief for a lost loved one. The best funeral flower messages are heartfelt, sincere, and comforting. They should also be personalized for the deceased so the family knows you weren’t just going through the motions when you sent the flowers. For more information, contact Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A., for cremation services in College Park, MD.

What Is the Role of a Mortician

Morticians play an important role in providing death care services. They use their interpersonal, scientific, and business skills to communicate with deceased people’s family members and loved ones, plan services based on their requests, and prepare the body for funeral proceedings. This article will greatly assist you if you are looking for funeral homes in College Park, MD that provide compassionate care to people in difficult situations.

What Exactly Does a Mortician Do

A mortician oversees all aspects of funerals for the deceased and their loved ones. While their responsibilities vary depending on the size of the funeral home, they frequently include embalming and making preparations for the deceased person for private viewing before or during the funeral, offering assistance and guidance about funeral service options to the deceased person’s friends and relatives, assisting individuals in pre-planning their funeral arrangements, organizing the funeral and memorial services, and arranging for burial or cremation based on the deceased person’s or the family’s wishes.

A mortician’s common job duties today also include assisting the family in deciding between cremation and burial, if not already indicated by the deceased; assisting the family in selecting the casket or urn for the deceased; making preparations for obituary notices to announce the death; timetabling for the wake, funeral, and burial; organizing pallbearers and clergy for religious rites; preparing for cremation, or arranging for the opening and closing of the grave with the cemetery; embalming the body for viewing; ensuring that the services provided meet the wishes of the person who died; offering to counsel the bereaved family and friends; providing transportation for the bereaved and the deceased; organizing the retrieval and transportation of the body out of state or out of the country, or simply from the hospital; filing death certificates and other legal papers; and transcribing death certificates and other legal documents.

Mortician Abilities

Compassion

Morticians must be compassionate as they deal with loved ones and family members who cope with the passing of a dearly departed one.

Interpersonal skills

Morticians use tact, patience, and a soothing demeanor to assist people in making plans for those who are nearing the end of their lives or have recently passed away.

Technical skills

Morticians’ technical skills enable them to embalm and perform restorative techniques that honor the deceased by complementing their clothing and cosmetics.

Verbal communication skills

When conducting funeral services, morticians must communicate confidently and respectfully.

Objectivity

Because death traditions differ from culture to culture and family to family, morticians use objective practices to respect the deceased’s and their loved ones’ wishes without passing judgment.

Time management

Morticians must prioritize tasks such as burial and cremation and ensure they provide services to multiple clients efficiently and competently.

Morticians who work at funeral homes in College Park, MD spend the majority of their time preparing the deceased and conducting funeral services. They also travel to places of worship, private homes, cemeteries, and other memorial or burial sites to conduct funeral services for the deceased. Long shifts are common during the week and on weekends, as services are frequently performed in the evenings and on weekends. Morticians also have on-call hours during which they are available to help clients who need it. For more information about the best morticians in the area, don’t hesitate to contact us immediately.

Foods for the Bereaved

Every year, cremation services in Adelphi, MD assist many families in honoring and saying goodbye to their loved ones. During each service, the departed’s family and friends support one another in their sorrow. When individuals ask what they can do to aid those who are grief-stricken, one of the finest recommendations is to cook or offer food to the heartbroken family. Food always brings people together and is a significant part of most events.

Food is a vital part of life, particularly when one is in mourning. Individuals in anguish are often so exhausted that they neglect to care for themselves, including eating suitably. A nourishing meal may be one of the most valuable things you can give a mourning family.

Ideas for Providing Nourishing Food to the Grieving

Make a nutritious meal.
A healthy meal will be most beneficial if you cook a sympathy meal for a grief-stricken person. While making sweets or other treats is fine, a hearty meal will have a greater impact.
Notify the family that you will be cooking a meal for them.
Advise the family that food is on its way but do not give them the choice to refuse it. Those mourning normally grumble that they do not want aid, even when they do.
Use dishes and containers you don’t need to be returned.
Attempt to pack the food in non-returnable containers. If you don’t have any, dollar stores and department stores sell inexpensive packaging that can be used for this.
Purchase groceries or order catered food.
Not everybody is a great cook, but that doesn’t mean you can’t offer sympathy food for a grieving family. Instead of cooking the food, purchase a bag of groceries containing foods that do not necessitate preparation. Bread, cheeses, and meats, as well as fruit and vegetable platters, could be considered.
Make an appointment to visit.
You don’t want to carry your sympathy meal to the family’s household when no one is around. Before you bring the meal, communicate with the family to find out when they will come home. You should drop off the food at a time when the family can eat it while it is still new and warm.
Include a note with the food.
A note with the comfort food is a pleasant special touch. In the note, you can include condolences and any other significant information the family should consider. This could comprise ingredients or rewarming directions if essential.
Invite the family to dinner.
As an alternative to carrying a meal to the grieving family, request them to come to dinner at your household. You can still serve comfort foods to the grief-stricken family, but you should also give them an excuse to get out and mingle.
Keep allergies and dietary restrictions in mind.

Consider the family’s food allergies and dietary restrictions. If you’re unsure, don’t be afraid to ask.

There are numerous dishes to choose from if you are serious about cooking a sympathy meal for a bereaved family. You could cook a family recipe or try something new. In either case, making comfort food for someone you know is in mourning is generous and supportive. Contact Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A., for more ideas about cremation services in Adelphi, MD.

Popular Funeral Sympathy Plants

It is customary to send sympathy plants to express your sorrow and support during this difficult time when someone you know dies or suffers loss. Many people prefer a florist to choose the plants for them, but you can make the plants you send more personal by learning about their meaning. The funeral homes in Adelphi, MD can assist you with this.

Why Are Sympathy Plants Used at Funerals

The practice of sending sympathy plants and displaying plants at funerals has a long history, most likely dating back to around 80,000 years ago in Iraq. A male Neanderthal was discovered in the Shanidar caves, surrounded by the remains of various wildflowers, including pollen deposits and flower fragments. Dr. Solecki, the excavation director, determined that the flowers were placed on the burial site after further examination of the soil samples.

Since then, flowers and other plants have played a role in funeral practices worldwide. One theory for why this tradition began is that flowers’ pungent and pleasant odor masks the odor of rot and decay from a body.

Popular Sympathy Plants

Roses

Not only are they beautiful and widely adored, but you can also personalize your message to the deceased based on the color of the rose you send.

Lilies

The lily, known as the peace lily, is the most popular sympathy plant. Many people nowadays send lilies to funerals because they know it is a tradition.

Orchids

Orchids, above all, represent love, so you can’t go wrong with this lovely plant to express your feelings for the departed or their loved ones. Orchids last longer than the other flowers on this list, so the orchid is recommended to give a sympathy plant that will last after the service.

Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums are popular plants to send as sympathy gifts, though they have different meanings worldwide. In the United States, they are commonly regarded as fall flowers that represent happiness and well-being. Chrysanthemums are associated with death and mourning in other parts of the world, such as Belgium, Japan, and Austria.

Violets

Violets are often thought to represent everlasting love, remembrance, and innocence, making them appropriate for a sympathy plant.

Hyacinths

Hyacinths, particularly purple hyacinths, represent sorrow, so if you are particularly saddened by the loss and want to express your feelings, these flowers may be an excellent choice.

Carnations

Carnations are lovely flowers that are appropriate for a sympathy arrangement for anyone.

Palm plants

Palm plants are thought to represent protection, so if you want to comfort and protect a grieving loved one, a palm plant can be the ideal sympathy plant.

Oak trees

Because of their steady and consistent growth, oak trees are often revered as symbols of strength and resistance, making them uplifting symbols of life continuing after loss.

Dogwood trees

These trees represent rebirth and resurrection.

We have already discussed why sympathy plants are used at funerals, so you can better understand how this tradition came to be. If you want to learn more about this, don’t hesitate to look into funeral homes in Adelphi, MD, as our team is eager to discuss it. Come see us or call us right away.

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