Making Good Decisions While Grieving

Many people don't spend a lot of time dwelling on the concept of death or what happens when a loved one passes away. Unfortunately, when someone close to you dies, you suddenly need to make a lot of choices about their funeral and final resting place. Cremation is one option that many individuals and families choose for a wide variety of reasons. Here are three facts about cremation that can help you decide if it's the right choice.

1. You can choose to have your loved one's ashes placed in more than one urn.

People who prefer to keep their loved one's ashes often choose to have the ashes placed in an urn. Urns are decorative containers specifically designed to hold the cremains of people who have passed away. Some people find that keeping their loved one's ashes helps them feel a sense of peace and closure. If multiple people were close to the deceased person and they would like to keep the ashes, you can have your loved one's cremains placed into more than one urn.

2. You can have a visitation opportunity before or after cremation.

If you'd like to give mourners the opportunity to pay their last respects to the person who has passed away, you may want to have a visitation opportunity. Visitation often takes place in conjunction with a memorial service. If you choose to have visitation before cremation, your loved one will need to be embalmed, which will help to preserve their remains. Embalming makes an open casket visitation possible. Some people find that looking at their loved one for the last time helps them let go and move on. If you plan to do a closed casket ceremony, you can skip the embalming process and have the visitation after cremation has already taken place.

3. You may choose to have your loved one's ashes interred in a variety of locations.

Interment is a popular way to handle a loved one's remains. Burial is a common form of interment, where the ashes of a loved one is placed in the earth. However, some people prefer to have their ashes placed in a mausoleum or a chapel specifically designed for that purpose. Cremation increases your options for interment, since cremains can fit in much smaller spaces than an intact body. If you would like to have your loved one buried but you're concerned about the expense, cremation before burial can cut down on the cost.

For more information, contact local cremation services.