What Happens After the Funeral

Many of us believe that once the funeral is over we are done; however, there will be many loose ends that we will need to take care of. Most of these tasks are ones that you will not look forward to or may even see as tedious and frustrating. However, there may be a few that you will actually enjoy and may help you look back on the good times you once had with the deceased. Of course, it is probably best if you go ahead and take care of these tasks as soon as possible to help you feel a little more at ease with saying goodbye to your loved one.

• Floral arrangements. The typical funeral is full of flowers. You could try to ask for donations instead of flowers if you do not want to deal with a lot of flowers after the funeral. However, you may find that you still receive a lot of flowers anyway. This means that once the funeral is over, you will be tasked with figuring out what to do with all these flowers. There are several acceptable options for you to choose from, such as taking them back home, giving them to friends and family, leaving them at the gravesite, leaving them at the church or donating them to a retirement home or hospital. Remember to keep the cards from the flowers in case you want to send thank you notes.

• Thank you notes. Many people will help you with the funeral, make food for your family and send flowers to the funeral. Most of us may feel obligated to send them thank you notes. During this emotionally stressful time, you may not want to be bothered with sending out thank you notes. Everyone will understand if you choose not to send them.  You may find yourself extremely busy with other tasks and trying to mourn the loss of your loved one. However, if you do decide to send thank you notes, you may find that it is a perfect way to reconnect with the people in your loved one’s life once more. It is also a nice thing to do and may give you a chance to keep your mind busy and not focus on the absence of your loved one.

• Headstones or markers. If you opt to have your loved one buried, you will need to purchase the headstone or marker for their gravesite. You should try to get with the cemetery to see which headstones or markers are allowed. You can also purchase the headstone from the cemetery, or you could choose to buy one from a specialty shop. A headstone can be personalized. However, you need to remember the prices will vary and the shipping time may be longer. It could take days to months to finish the headstone depending on the one you choose.

• Paperwork. Unfortunately, there will be a lot of paperwork to fill out after the death of a loved one. There will be accounts to cancel, close and switch over. And, unfortunately, this all adds up to paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork. You get the picture. You will be filling out a lot of paperwork. You will need to keep all relevant information and the death certificate in an easy to access place where you will not lose it.

Once the funeral is over and done, you may find that there is so much left to do, and you may be unsure of what the next step may be. Many of us are confused and unsure after losing a loved one. Do not be afraid to ask for help, and remember to take some time out for you. You have to take care of yourself. It is difficult dealing with everything all at once, and you may need to walk away and take a breather. This is to be expected. Remember to reach out to others when you feel overwhelmed and ask for some help from the funeral home. They can walk you through the next steps. It can be hard, and it will only be harder if you go it alone.