Bereavement gifts are great for showing your support in a personal, unique, and meaningful way. But, as losing a child is a specific type of grief, you can’t give a mother any old bereavement gift. How can you support and comfort a mom after her child’s passing and cremation service in Oakland, CA beyond kind words or prayers?

There are no perfect words or gifts that will soothe the pain of losing a child. However, any gesture of support and love will make a grieving mother feel less alone in her loss. Here are beautiful bereavement gifts for mothers to inspire you:

1. Molly Bear – These stuffed animals are ideal for mothers who lost babies as they are ordered to match the exact weight of the infant at the time of their death. Perhaps snuggling with the teddy bear will offer her some comfort.
2. Personalized Ornament – Make or order an ornament personalized with the child’s name or picture so she can honor her lost child every year during the holidays.
3. Personalized Necklace – Many mothers find comfort in wearing a reminder of their lost child every day. Necklaces make this easily accomplishable. Get her a personalized necklace engraved with a memento of the child, such as their footprint, their name, or their picture.
4. Food – It’s hard to cook or even order takeout after losing a child. The gift of a hot meal or a frozen dinner for later will always be appreciated by grieving mothers.
5. Memory Box – After losing a child, there are so many precious items she will want to hold onto and cherish. Give her a memory box to keep these items in so she can look at them and keep them safe for years to come.
6. Memorial Candle – Many bereaved light candles in honor of their lost loved ones. You can give her a personalized candle to light in remembrance of her child. Personalize it with the child’s photo, name, birthdate, or a comforting quote about loss.
7. Name in the Sand – Some businesses will build personalized sand artwork in the memory of a lost child and then send a photo of the work to the mother as a token of the act. This is a great gift for the loss of a young child who loved the beach or playing in the sand.
8. Memorial Quilt – What will she do with all of her little one’s clothing? You can take some of the items and stitch them into a memorial quilt or you can have them sent off so a professional makes the quilt for you. Functional gifts such as these are both beautiful and useful.
9. Gift Certificate – Perhaps she isn’t ready to go out for a meal, massage, or other act of self-care. Buy her a gift certificate now so she can enjoy it when she’s ready. This will also help show her support after the initial flood of support subsides.

Losing a child never be easy, so it’s natural to want to comfort mothers in their time of grief.

Do you want more ideas or information on Oakland, CA cremation services? Call or visit us today.

Deciding what to do with what’s left of your loved one can often feel overwhelming, especially if your loved one didn’t leave specific instructions for what they want done with their remains. What should you do with your loved one’s ashes after their cremation service in Oakland, CA? People don’t always know what to do with cremated remains, and that’s OK. The good news is that there are almost countless things you can do with cremation ashes, or cremains.

From scattering at sea to works of art, here are beautiful things you can do with ashes to help honor the memory of your lost loved one:

1. Candle Urns – Candle urns are like standard cremation urns except that they have a place to put a candle on top, making them double as a candle holder and an urn. This allows you to light a candle in your loved one’s memory whenever you want.
2. Scattering at Sea – Scattering ashes at sea is exactly what it sounds like: scattering the cremated remains of your lost loved one in the ocean or another large body of water. According to US law, all scattering must occur at least three nautical miles – about 3.5 miles – from shore.
3. Balloon Release – You can have your loved one’s cremains placed in a helium balloon, so they float up into the sky. Most balloons will get about 5 miles into the atmosphere, upon which the low temperature will cause the balloon to pop and the ashes to scatter on the wind.
4. Wall-Mounted Urns – Wall-mounted urns, or plaque urns, allow you to hang your lost loved one’s cremains on your wall like a work of art. The wall-mounted urn holds cremated remains discreetly and securely.
5. Cemetery Burial – You can bury your loved one’s cremains at a cemetery. Ash burials can be at the foot of a casket, in an urn plot, in an urn garden, or in a columbarium niche.
6. Handwriting Pendant – You can purchase a pendant engraved with your lost loved one’s handwriting and keep their cremains inside. This will keep them close to you and help you remember their writing.
7. Biodegradable Urn – A biodegradable urn is a great way to lay your loved one to rest and to do right by the planet. These urns are made from plant fibers and recycled paper so they degrade over time, returning the ashes to the earth.
8. Flower Urn Vase – Don’t want your loved one’s urn to look like and urn? Try a flower urn vase, which is an urn that holds ashes as well as flowers so you can keep your loved one close and beautiful with fresh plants.

What one person decides to do with their own or their loved one’s ashes may seem strange to another, but in the end, it is a personal thing. You may find some of the options odd, and that’s ok. You might also find the perfect “final resting place” idea for yourself or your loved one.

We are here to help with any and all of your Oakland, CA cremation service questions, no matter what you decide to do with your lost loved one’s ashes. Call or visit us today to learn more.

How long will you be grieving after a cremation service in Oakland, CA? Unfortunately, there is no set time frame for when you will feel better, move through a stage, or come to accept the loss of your loved one as each person, each relationship, and even each death is different. However, knowing what others have gone through and understanding that their experiences are similar to your own can help you feel normal, which is soothing.

Being aware of grief models can help you understand the emotions you may be feeling. To provide comfort, here is a general grief timeline. For some, grief begins before the death. Anticipatory grief is a feeling of loss you may experience before your loved one dies. For example, you might begin to think about their loss and feel the pain of that loss when you find out a loved one has a terminal illness. After the death, many people experience shock immediately that lasts for hours or even days.

Everyone experiences shock differently. Some people may cry or laugh while others might feel completely numb. Every reaction is normal. A funeral or memorial service is often when you say goodbye in a formal, final manner. This can be a very important part of the healing process, and reactions can vary from one extreme to the other. You might cry throughout the service or sit stoically.

Some people say that grief is often harder after the service. This makes sense. Once the service is over, friends go home and return to their lives, leaving you alone with your feelings and your new reality. This is the time to self-reflect and allow yourself to feel your emotions. You can work on your to-do list, but be gentle with yourself. What about months or years down the line? Your grief will lessen over time. The exact amount of time depends on the person, as no two people will grieve the same. But you will start to feel better. Months after the loss, many people begin to question the death as they’ve processed it more. This is common. You will never be “finished” grieving the loss of a loved one. Even years down the line, there will still be moments when the pang of loss hits you like it did in the early days. However, these moments will become few and far between as the years pass.

Your grief might be like a shadow, always there but not fully visible or tangible. Despite the popular saying, time doesn’t “heal” the wound. But it does soften the blow. As the years go by, the sharpness of your grief will ease, and you’ll be able to think back to happy memories with a bittersweet smile.

Being familiar with a common grief timeline can help comfort you in your time of loss. We are happy to do whatever we can for you in your time of loss if you want to learn more about grief after Oakland, CA cremation services. Call or visit us today.

How long does grief last after the loss of specific relationships, such as the death of a spouse, child, or parent and their cremation service in Oakland, CA?

Grief varies greatly depending on the type of loss you suffer. Think about it, the grief you may feel after losing a spouse can be very different from the grief you feel after losing a coworker. Or, for example, grief after a miscarriage is different than grief after the loss of a parent.

Everyone’s grief timeline is different, but hopefully this information can help you feel normal and accepted as you process your loss. Many people suffer from feelings of grief after a miscarriage, even though many people don’t talk about it. If you’ve suffered a miscarriage, you’re not alone. Your body and heart will heal over time, so be patient with yourself and don’t be ashamed of your feelings of loss.

What about the loss of a spouse? While grief varies from person to person, some experts say that mourning the loss of a spouse can last three years or longer. No matter where in you are in your grief journey after losing your spouse, be compassionate and patient with yourself. Anyone who’s lost a child will most likely say that the pain will never fully go away. Losing a child is considered the single worst stressor a person can experience, which is why experts agree that grief after the death of a child is often the longest and most severe grief.

Losing a parent will have an impact on you and your life, no matter how old you are. Parents always have a formative effect on their children, and the loss will be acutely felt. Some people say their grief after the loss of a parent lasted between six months and a year, but there is no right or wrong timeline. We can’t forget about pets. A pet can be a very important part of your family. The feelings of loss and grief you may experience after the death of a pet are valid and nothing to be ashamed of. Grieving a pet takes time, often several months, but it is your right to feel your grief and to work through it.

The best way to work through grief after any kind of loss is to accept your new normal. One way to help ease the transition is by starting new routines that put you and your health first. Life is always changing, but growth can be healthy. You can try starting a new exercise routine, whether that means joining a gym or going on regular walks. This extra exercise will not only keep you physically heathy, but will also help you reduce stress and ward off depression. You can also try regular self-care such as massages, manicures, or doing activities that make you happy. Don’t be afraid to try new things, too. Test out different hobbies or take a class to learn a new skill. You might even make new friends or form new relationships that can help fill the hole in your heart.

Do need more information on grief or Oakland, CA cremation services? We are here to help however we can.

Internment is laying someone to rest permanently, whether that means burial, a cremation service in Oakland, CA, a nice, or more. In the past, internment specifically meant burial. But these days, since cremation is so popular, it has also come to refer to the final disposition of cremated remains. Inurnment, however, is when ashes or cremated remains are placed in a permanent cremation urn, while burial is only the placement of remains in the earth.

You can inter, or lay to rest, cremated remains after cremation services. There are many ways you can inter your lost loved one’s remains after a cremation. You can bury them, place them in a niche, or many other types of internment. But where can you inter your lost loved one’s cremated remains?

There are many places to choose for interment of ashes. You just need to decide how you would like to lay your loved one to rest, such as public land. If you want to inter an urn on public land, you will need a special permit as public land cannot be used to burial or scattering remains unless otherwise stated. Some spaces, like theme parks and sport stadiums, never allow any type of burial or scattering. Other spaces, like national parks, do allow it when the bereaved fill out an application and get a permit. It is always wise to ask first. You would hate to have your loved one’s cremated remains swept or vacuumed up, only to be placed in a trash can.

You can also inter ashes in a columbarium. A columbarium is a room, wall, or building created specifically to house cremated remains inside urns. They are built with niches to hold the urns and provide the bereaved final resting places at which they can visit and remember their lost loved ones. There are also cemetery options. You can inter or bury cremated remains in a cemetery. Some cemeteries allow ashes to be buried in the same kind of grave space as full caskets, while others only allow ashes to be buried in special cremated remain graves. Before making plans to inter a loved one, check with your local cemetery.

You can bury an urn with cremated remains on private property, such as your own land or the land of someone in your family or that of a friend. If you choose to bury the urn, you should consider the different types of burial urns. There are options that are designed to stand the test of time and there are others that are made to decay so the cremains can return to the earth. You should also consider if you need a burial vault to help keep the land from sinking after the burial.

Finally, urn gardens. Urn gardens are special areas in cemeteries dedicated to cremated remains. In elaborate gardens, cremated remains are incorporated into the landscape, such as in benches, in a fountain, or other pieces. Less elaborate urn gardens have urns buried in the ground like other parts of the cemetery.

Do you have more questions on internment and ashes? We are here to help if you want to learn more about interment or Oakland, CA cremation services. Call or visit us today for more information.

Temporary urns are small, unassuming containers usually made of cardboard or plastic. They’re designed to temporarily house cremated remains, generally with the remains inside the temporary urn in a plastic bag. Your lost loved one’s remains most likely won’t be returned to you in a decorative or permanent urn after their cremation service in Oakland, CA. Instead, you will pick them up or they will be delivered to you in a temporary urn. But what do you do with a temporary urn? And how do you transfer the remains into a permanent urn? Here are some tips for using a temporary urn.

You can keep your loved one’s remains however you see fit, whether in a temporary urn or some other receptible. Most standard temporary urns measure approximately 8.5″ x 6.5″ x 4.5″, though there are other some other sizes on the market. Most funeral homes and cremation providers will use temporary urns if you have not provided an alternative or if you have not purchased an urn from them because it is a bit more respectful to transport remains in a temporary urn rather than just in a plastic bag.

You can have the funeral home transfer the ashes for you. If you aren’t comfortable handling your lost loved one’s cremated remains, you can have your funeral home or cremation provider transfer the ashes into a permanent urn for you. Funeral homes are required by law to use the container of your choice, even if it is purchased from an outside source. You can have the urn delivered directly to the funeral home and skip the temporary urn completely, or drop the remains off with the permanent urn once it arrives.

If you want to keep your lost loved one’s cremated remains at home or in a columbarium, you will most likely want to transfer them into a permanent urn. You can easily transfer the remains yourself. To do so, open the temporary urn and remove the plastic bag with the cremains inside. Then, put the plastic bag into the permanent urn and close the lid or bottom panel. You do not have to take the remains out of the bag. You may use wood glue or caulk to seal the urn, but this is not required as long as the ashes remain in the plastic bag.

You can also keep the temporary urn. Your lost loved one’s cremated remains will be just fine in a temporary urn. You don’t need to buy a fancy urn if you don’t want to or if you don’t have the funds. While temporary urns aren’t ideal for displaying ashes, they are great for burying or scattering. Most cemeteries will require a burial vault, so you can just keep the remains in the temporary urn and put both inside the burial vault. If you plan to scatter your lost loved one’s cremains, you can keep them in the temporary urn until you do so. You can also place the temporary urn with the cremated remains inside a permanent urn as there are many urn options that are designed to be large enough for this purpose.

We are here to help if you want to learn more about urns or Oakland, CA cremation services. Call or visit us today.