Unfortunately, part of life is death, and with the current pandemic, it can be complicated to gather to celebrate the lives of those that have passed on and are so precious to us. It is heart-wrenching, but with the current restrictions, most funerals are limited to very small groups such as spouses and children. These restrictions do no accommodate grandkids or even surviving siblings of your loved one. So how can we celebrate those who pass on during COVID?
Here are three solutions that will allow you to celebrate their life with a larger group during the pandemic.
Holding A Virtual Funeral
Even though the number of loved ones who will be able to attend the funeral physically may be limited can extend the opportunity for others to grieve. Your other family and friends can attend the funeral by broadcasting it via zoom or Facebook live; this way, grandkids, extended family, and friends can also be a part of the funeral. You can also distribute the funeral program template via email so they can follow along as well as have a small memento that they could print out and keep.
Free Memorial Website
Another great way to allow everyone to take part in remembering your loved one is with a memorial website. A memorial website makes it easy for individuals to upload their photos a share their memories. Many memorial websites allow you to quickly create a slideshow with all of the pictures that have been shared so everyone can enjoy photos and memories they may have never seen before.
Another great feature of a memorial website is the ability to allow family and friends to leave comments. With moderated comments, everyone can read the fun stories or sweet memories that others have of your loved one and truly get to feel like they are part of the memorial.
Funeral Announcements
A funeral announcement allows you to notify everyone that was touched by your loved one's life with a lovely card. A funeral announcement is usually a 5×7 design that has a photo of your loved one on the front with the date they passed from this world. On the back of the card, you can include a favorite story about them, additional photos, funeral details with the memorial website, or a plethora of different options. It really depends on what you would like to add.
Even though it is a difficult time and not everyone you would like will be able to attend in-person to honor your loved one, you should be able to expand the service to include others and mourn the loss of an angel here earth thanks to the ideas above. Once the pandemic ends and yes, it will end even though it seems like it could go on forever, a celebration of life can be held. A celebration of life ceremony can be held where everyone gets together to celebrate the beautiful life that has now passed.
