Human beings are social. We crave the company of others. During times of stress our friends comfort us, they listen to us, and share our troubles. When someone we love dies, we need our people.


Many faith communities, both ancient and modern, understand this need. They have, as a part of their death care ritual, a time for the bereaved to receive friends. This may take place before a funeral service, or in some religions the time for the bereaved to mingle with friends takes place after the funeral service and burial.


Dr Alan D Wolfelt describes a mourning ritual as a “symbolic activity that helps us, together with our families and friends, express our deepest thoughts and feelings about life’s most important events.” In Jewish tradition, the family “sits shiva” for seven days following the service and burial. Irish Catholics gather for a “wake.”

Visitation is a mourning ritual.


A Visitation is the less formal part of a funeral. It often takes place the evening or morning before the more structured part of the funeral service. The Visitation provides the opportunity for friends of the bereaved family to offer condolences, hugs, and express their love and respect for the person who died.


It is also a time for people who knew the person who died but perhaps are not known to the family to express their feelings to the family. This opportunity to feel the embrace and hear the words of people who knew the one we loved is a very powerful, sometimes overlooked, and often most healing part of the funeral ritual.


When a daughter or husband meets someone outside of the family who knew their mother as a co-worker or mentor or teacher and hears how the mother they loved impacted this other life, it has deep meaning. For many it is the most powerful, most comforting, aspect of the funeral ritual.


Each part of the funeral - the religious traditions, the eulogy, the celebration of the life, the burial or cremation and the visitation - has a purpose. If you are planning a funeral for a loved one, speak with your funeral director about all of the parts of the mourning ritual.


If you are attending a visitation, prepare before you go. Think about the person who died. How did you know them? Did they teach you? Did they help you? Did they comfort you? Did they make you laugh? Did they make your day better? When you attend the visitation, be sure to make the effort to introduce yourself to family members and share how you knew their loved one and how he or she made you feel, made you better, or made you laugh.





www.smithfamilycares.com

Smith Family Funeral Homes provides quality funeral, memorial and cremation services to the families of Central Arkansas. Their six locations can be found in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Westbrook, Sherwood, Benton and Arkadelphia. With a privately-owned crematory operated by licensed professionals, Smith Family Funeral Homes can guarantee their high standard of care throughout the cremation process. To learn more, visit smithfamilycares.com.

By Smith Family February 5, 2025
Planning for your end-of-life ceremony, your funeral, has many benefits. Some of them are practical, some are emotional, and some are financial. For some, planning in advance actually helps them live a better, more purpose-driven life.
By Smith Family February 5, 2025
For a person who has lost a life partner, a husband or a wife, mealtime is often the most challenging time of their day. It is sometimes difficult to muster the desire or skill necessary for meal preparation. Sometimes it is just hard to deal with the expanse of the table when no one else is sharing the space. So, it becomes too much trouble to cook for one or to eat alone.
By Smith Family January 6, 2025
What does grief look like? It’s a question that’s been asked for centuries, and it’s difficult to answer because grief looks different to different people. But we’ve often been told that the grieving process follows a certain path, which is commonly called the five stages of grief. Does everyone go through the five stages? And if they don’t, how do they know if they’re grieving properly?
By Smith Family January 6, 2025
When you work with a funeral director, you’ll quickly find that they don’t just look at the big picture. They want to know details, from how you want your loved one to look to how you want some of their most precious items to be featured. Here are just a few of the details that a funeral director needs to know to ensure that they plan a funeral that’s perfect for your loved one.
By Smith Family January 6, 2025
There are many days throughout the year that remind us of our loved ones who are no longer with us physically. We find ourselves thinking of them on their birthdays, special holidays, or anniversaries. The anniversary of their passing can be an especially difficult day. Experiencing grief on this day is natural, but it can be overwhelming and painful. Here are a few tips to help you get through this challenging day.
By Smith Family January 6, 2025
When a loved one passes, one of the first questions that often gets asked is when the funeral will be held. It’s assumed that a funeral will be the way in which family and friends say a final farewell, but do you have to have a funeral? While no law makes it so that you have to hold a funeral in a loved one’s honor, you may want to consider what you could miss out on when you decide against a funeral.
By Smith Family November 25, 2024
Music affects us. Whether it makes us laugh from silly lyrics or cry from a meaningful melody, music has the power to make us feel something. Choosing music for a funeral can help set the tone of the service and mirror the spirit of our loved one. Take a look at some of the best and most popular songs played at funerals to inspire your own choices.
By Smith Family November 25, 2024
When a friend loses a loved one, you want to do what you can to help them through this difficult time. But what does that support look like? Sometimes, when we attempt to help friends who are grieving, we end up saying and doing things that may not be all that beneficial. Some common attempts to be of service may actually be better off avoided. What should you not do when a friend is grieving?
By Smith Family November 25, 2024
When someone passes, what should you say to the people they leave behind? It’s a tricky question. You want to be respectful and acknowledge their loss. You don’t want to diminish their grief, but you also don’t want to say something that may upset them when they’re already experiencing many emotions. When you greet a family member at their loved one’s funeral, what's the best thing to say?
By Smith Family November 25, 2024
When most people have a funeral, someone will give an important, emotional speech called a eulogy. A eulogy provides the funeral-goers with a meaningful portrait of the person who has passed and gives them a chance to collectively say goodbye. The eulogist gives a speech that’s as unique as the person being honored. They often feel a lot of pressure to get the eulogy right, though there is no one right way of writing it. But this guide can help you get started if you’re struggling to find the words for your loved one’s eulogy.
More Posts