“When words are inadequate, we turn to ritual.”
Since the earliest days of humanity, across civilizations and cultures, humans have honored their dead with some kind of ritual.
The ritual persists into modernity, and for good reason: funerals serve a very important purpose, according to Parks Funeral Home, a third-generation business in Summerville.
Consider all the reasons we still need funerals today.
- We Need a Ritual to Say Goodbye
- It Allows Families and Friends to Pay Their Respects
- It Honors Their Memory
- It Acknowledges the Finality of Death
- It Allows Friends and Family to Express Their Own Loss
The funeral ritual itself allows the bereaved to express how they feel about the passing of a loved one and acknowledge the finality of their loss. Generally rich in tradition, the funeral ritual offers a sense of finality and closure that provides a starting point for acceptance of the reality of death.
People attend funerals to express their love and respect for the deceased and those who loved them. It creates a place and time to offer comfort to the survivors – if only with a hug – a few token words and the power of presence. The community of people that supports the grieving survivors in their time of need can provide a tremendous lift.
When someone dies, they leave behind those who loved them and a legacy that affects others. A funeral service provides a forum for remembering their impact and mourning their passing. The life and times of the deceased are recounted in order to remind the assembled of the deceased’s contributions and the many ways in which their life intersected with those in attendance.
A funeral denotes the final milestone in the life of the deceased and a day of intense, bittersweet memories for those in attendance.
Because funeral details are often laid out in advance according to the wishes of the deceased or determined by their grieving family according to their own needs, they provide a path to peace and healing. The importance of this ritual for those in mourning cannot be overstated because its benefits can reverberate for years.
While we may intellectually accept the loss of a loved one, a funeral provides a final departure at the moment the casket enters the ground. The public expression of this acknowledgement allows those left behind to come to this acceptance in the embrace of others who feel the loss.
A formal ritual gives license to family and friends to grieve out loud together with physical symbols and the common language of ritual. Sharing their loss in an intimate setting reminds them that they are not alone in their grief.
Since 1940, Parks Funeral Home has been proudly serving Lowcountry families. Their family-owned business is able to provide the comfort and experience needed to help loved ones get through a difficult time.
To pre-plan a funeral or make arrangement for a loved one, contact them at (843) 873-3440 or visit them online at Parksfuneralhome.com.
