If you have to arrange final services for a loved one, and they haven’t left any instructions as to what they want, you’re on your own making the decisions. Sometimes, those decisions might be easy. You simply go along with the traditions your family has followed in the past. That could mean traditional burial and a full funeral. If you want to switch things up and do a cremation in Reading, PA instead this time, you could be breaking some family traditions. How do you handle that situation? Here are some tips to help you out.
First of all, understand that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with cremation. Traditional burial and cremation are both perfectly acceptable, dignified, and respectful ways to give someone a final send off. There’s no need to feel guilty about choosing one over the other. There are no concrete right or wrong answers—just what’s right for your family’s situation.
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Second of all, if you’re going to break traditions, your family might be more comfortable with the idea if you explain your reasons for doing so. There might not be any money in your loved one’s budget for a full funeral, for example, and perhaps you don’t have the funds for it either. Or maybe you want everyone to be able to gather for the memorial service and those travels take time. Or perhaps you feel better about the idea of keeping your loved one’s remains in an urn on your mantel so they’re always close, even if you move. Once the others in your family understand the reasons you have behind the cremation decision, they are more likely to be okay with the change in tradition.
Third, keep some of the traditions your family finds comforting. If they are used to a full funeral, but you have your loved one cremated soon after their death, you can still have a memorial service that has a lot of the same funeral-like elements. The memorial service can include hymns, poem readings, and a eulogy as well as anything else you’d like. They can feel very similar, but one includes a casket while the other hosts an urn.
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If you’re leaning toward Reading, PA cremation for a loved one instead of a traditional burial, and it’s something new to your family, contact the professionals at Whelan Schwartz Funeral Home, Inc for advice and options. We want to get to know your family and your loved one who passes away through you. Once we know more about the situation, we can give you our opinion and ideas as to what might be best for your family. Call us at (610) 374-0962 to ask questions or to set up a consultation with our funeral director. You can also visit with us at 444 N 9th St, Reading, PA 19601 so we can help you through your situation. Traditions can be very comforting, but sometimes, a new way of doing things just works better. We’re here to help you honor your loved one in whatever way you see fit.
