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A funeral service is a way to bring caring people together. It is a gathering
where friends and family can lend support and begin the healing process. Nothing
can fill the emptiness one feels after the death of someone close, but the
healing begins sooner when people we care about are near.
A funeral allows mourners to express their grief and share it with others. It
stimulates conversation about the deceased, which is an important first step
toward accepting what has happened. In fact, many people who avoided the funeral
of a loved one expressed much more difficulty in dealing with their grief.
The reality of death needs to be accepted no only on an intellectual basis,
but on an emotional level as well. This is the foundation for funerals in which
a family decides a funeral should be preceded by an open-casket visitation.
Research has shown this process has a marked, positive effect on the grieving
process, helping the healing begin.
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