“What is the Cost of a Funeral?”
One of the most asked questions of a funeral home is “What is the cost of a funeral?”
This is a very fair question, to which there is a very simple answer, “it depends on what you want”. But a question people aren’t asking these days and yet one that we feel is very relevant is the question “What is the cost of NOT having a funeral?”
Yes, we have seen the “No Funeral” trend even more so over the past couple of years as our world has had to adapt to a virus, which has asked us to self isolate, limit gatherings, wear masks and social distance. We have also seen the “limbo” that some people have felt as a result, and the sense of feeling lost and alone without the opportunity to gather.
There is a cost to not being able to gather for a funeral, an emotional cost. The funeral was created for several reasons:
· To offer the surviving family the opportunity to acknowledge the reality of their loved one’s death
· To offer the surrounding community the opportunity to pay respects to the deceased and to honour the surviving family with support
· To remind the surviving family that they are supported in this most difficult time
· To offer everyone an opportunity to express appreciation and celebrate the life an important person in their life.
· To acknowledge this monumental time of transition in the lives of the survivors.
We have learned the great value in asking our families, “What is a funeral to you?” What a funeral is to one person is not what a funeral is to another. A lot has changed in funeral services including the word funeral. We define the funeral as a “personally suitable ritual in which to say goodbye”. And we remind families that the funeral is, in fact, for the survivors. By not having a funeral, the survivors are robbed of a significant transition point in which to move forward. We have talked with folks years later who felt they had unfinished business in not having a funeral for their loved one. So, we have learned to adapt to the changing needs of our families, which has included recording, live streaming, and suggesting new ways to acknowledge and celebrate a life, and we have done so because we have witnessed the true value of the funeral.
We know the cost of not having a funeral is paid in the currency of the heart. As Funeral Professionals we are willing to do everything in our power to help support, educate and assist families with providing what they need, at the time they most need it so their hearts are not paying an unnecessary price.
We would love to discuss this more with you. Please don’t hesitate to call 306-693-4644.
W. J. Jones & Son Funeral Home and Crematorium
474 Hochelaga St. W., Moose Jaw
306.693.4644 or 306.694.5500
wjjonesandson.com | jonesfh106@gmail.com