Organize Private Family Time With Your Deceased Loved One Before The Visitation
A funeral visitation gives the grieving family an opportunity to meet those who may be attending the funeral and speak to each person for anything from a few seconds to several minutes. Many families opt for visitations following the death of a loved one because the process of speaking to those offering messages of sympathy can be highly cathartic during such a difficult time. You may also wish to think about organizing some private family time with your loved one's body at the funeral home. Doing so before the visitation begins can often be suitable. Here are some ways to approach this activity.
Use The Visitation Room
At most funeral homes, the room that you'll use for the visitation will be suitable for your private family time. The funeral home staff can place your loved one's casket in this room or, if you've opted for cremation, you can set the urn that holds the remains on a table. You'll then be able to shut the doors to give yourselves some privacy. Generally, these rooms offer different amenities that you'll find useful, including comfortable seating, a water dispenser, and several boxes of tissues.
Be As Formal Or Informal As You'd Like
There's no wrong way to proceed with your private family time, so you can either be formal or informal. If you opt for the former, you might ask different family members to share some recollections about the person who has passed. These remarks don't need to be highly polished in the same manner that someone may prepare to deliver a eulogy, so don't put extra pressure on yourselves during this already difficult time. For an informal approach, simply spending time together in the presence of your deceased loved one can be suitable.
Give Everyone A Chance To Speak About The Visitation/Service
With your whole family gathered together, this can be a perfect time to ask if anyone wishes to share any thoughts about the visitation or the funeral service. You don't want to live in regret about these important events that honor the life of your loved one, so if you have a specific comment or request, now is the time to share it. For example, you might simply ask if you could add a certain song to the funeral playlist that you've been thinking about over the last few days, as you like the lyrics and feel that it would provide comfort.
Contact a funeral home, like Conboy-Westchester Funeral Home Inc, for more help.