Why Gathering Is Important.  

We are very sorry for the loss that brings this brochure into your hands. Your heart is heavy and you have many decisions to make. Our role is to guide you in this process so that your choices are authentic, supportive and helpful as you begin your life in a healthy way without your loved one. When you lose someone, all the LOVE you felt for that person does not end with their death. It continues on in you. Since grief is the natural reaction to loss, some of the LOVE now feels like grief. You are full of LOVE and grief and need a way to express these emotions because LOVE can’t wait.

Throughout history, people have expressed their love and grief by gathering. They gather to begin accepting the reality of the death, to honor the person who died, to support one another, to hold onto their beliefs and to look towards the future with hope. These gatherings include visits with family and friends, as well as opportunities to tell stories and share the ways your loved one touched others’ lives. Giving and receiving LOVE abound. All these actions help you begin to heal while also fulfilling your loved one’s final wishes.

When thinking about gathering, you might contemplate whether to do so sooner or later. It’s important to do both. Some religious traditions offer ways to do just that. Gathering close to the time of death is what you naturally know you need to do because LOVE can’t wait. Gathering later helps you continue to make your life good again because LOVE still can’t wait. What matters is to do something!

Fortunately, we have options that enable your LOVE and that of those around you to do what it needs to do – to grieve, connect, share and honor. 

We are here to help you give and receive LOVE and heal!

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“There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to planning the funeral of a loved one in ordinary times, and there shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach to it in this time, either. Give yourself permission to make the decision that is best for you and your family.”

                                                                                                                                                                         ~ Sara Murphy, PhD, CT

To learn more about these programs please call 814.237.2712 or email us by completing the form below.