The moment I walked into my house after a long day of school, I realized that something was amiss. I noticed two pairs of work boots that hardly ever see together. It only meant one thing, that both of my parents were home early. A rare occurrence seeing as my dad comes home from work when everyone is asleep and my mom just barely makes it home in time to make dinner. I knew immediately that something must have happened for them to both be home early and at the same time. Thoughts raced through my head as I took off my shoes and backpack, “Am I in trouble or my brothers?” Dread filled my heart and mind as I poked my head around the corner and into the living room. The sight before me made my heart drop. My mom’s eyes were bloodshot and tears were rolling down her face while my dad had a puffy red nose and watery eyes. My mom explained through choked sobs that my grandmother on my dad’s side had just recently passed. I grew numb and blocked out my mom’s sobs. How could the person who took care of me for a good majority of my childhood be dead? I had only spoken to her a few days ago so it couldn’t be possible for her to pass away this quickly. My disbelief whispered selfish suggestions to me, “Question her! Ask her if it’s true!” I ignored my disbelief and went to embrace my anguished parents. I always dreaded the moment where I would have to experience the death of a loved one. My grandmother, who I lovingly called Ma Ma, played a big role in my childhood. She watched me while my older brother was in and out of the hospital due to his severe asthma. These frequent and long stays at the hospital also affected how much I was able to see my parents. Ma Ma was able to fill in the gaps of affection and attention that my parents coul... ... middle of paper ... ...t to pay for the journey into the afterlife. Ancient Romans and Greeks practiced a funeral tradition of "placing a coin in the mouth of the deceased as a payment to the boatman Charon for ferrying the soul...into the underworld"(Stevens 215). The Badagan people, who are native to India, practice a similar tradition where they place " a small coin dipped in ghee (boiled butter)…between the lips, to be swallowed if possible...The coin is supposed to be needed to pay the expensive of his journey to the other world"(Noble 262). Although the traditions itself aren’t exactly the same, these two cultures still share a common belief of having to pay for the journey to the afterlife. This common belief of the afterlife connects many cultures together, either through ancestral worship or just simply providing the deceased with the things that they need in the afterlife.
When discussing any topic, from medicines to death, history is always relevant. Funeral service dates back to 1685, which involved providing mourning merchandise to the society. Many undertakers at this time in history were also furniture builders, building the coffins for burial, as well as other household furniture. It wasn’t until the 19th century that funeral directors were utilized often. Before this time, families took care of their deceased loved ones. Around the time of the civil war embalming was introduced and shed a new light on funeral service. Listed below is a brief summary of some important events in funeral service history.
Living in a society where several cultures and religious beliefs are represented, such an event as memorable as death is bound to be celebrated differently. The paper attempts to look at the various ways different culture and religious practices prepare the body of the deceased for burial and the role of health care workers.
In the town of Sebewaing not much goes on, and not much will. but recently, in the past few years, things in Sebewaing has been seaming to change that. But, back to my story, my grandfather and I just finished installing the new support beam when, now our immediate family started to show up, as they usually do. “Jesus, don’t they ever stay home?” Grandpa said. You see, my Grandpa is a crotchety old man, but for good reason. I seen my sister and her now fiance walking up too go inside the house but, this time it seemed very peculiar; prior to me going in the house, I seen my sisters fiance look at me with an estranged look. My grandpa instructed me to go take out the trash for him which I did happily, about 5 minutes later I came into the house and looked around, “What the hell is up with everyone?” I asked myself. I discovered while looking around that everyone had an eerie look on their faces, as if someone just died. I sat down and
Nancy was only four years old when her grandmother died. Her grandmother had a big lump on the lower right hand side of her back. The doctors removed it, but it was too late. The tumor had already spread throughout her body. Instead of having a lump on her back, she had a long stitched up incision there. She couldn’t move around; Nancy’s parents had to help her go to the bathroom and do all the simple things that she use to do all by herself. Nancy would ask her grandmother to get up to take her younger sister, Linh, and herself outside so they could play. She never got up. A couple of months later, an ambulance came by their house and took their grandmother away. That was the last time Nancy ever saw her alive. She was in the hospital for about a week and a half. Nancy’s parents never took them to see her. One day, Nancy saw her parents crying and she have never seen them cry before. They dropped Linh and her off at one of their friend’s house. Nancy got mad because she thought they were going shopping and didn’t take her with them.
Globally, people celebrate or mourn the passing of loved ones in different ways. Because these traditions are engrained in cultural practices, some may not understand the reasons for death rites of passage. However, monetary challenges in reproducing these traditions can cause a change in tradition. This report addresses the different funeral traditions and offers a solution in the event of financial challenges.
Funeral planning is not something that we want to consider or think about however it is a reality we all have to face at some time or another in the course of our lives. While the subject may not be one you are very familiar with or one that you even want to be familiar with it is nevertheless helpful to have a good understanding of the various factors that make up funeral services.
It was a Monday night; I remember it like it was yesterday. I had just completed my review of Office Administration in preparation for my final exams. As part of my leisure time, I decided to watch my favorite reality television show, “I love New York,” when the telephone rang. I immediately felt my stomach dropped. The feeling was similar to watching a horror movie reaching its climax. The intensity was swirling in my stomach as if it were the home for the butterflies. My hands began to sweat and I got very nervous. I could not figure out for the life of me why these feelings came around. I lay there on the couch, confused and still, while the rings continued. My dearest mother decided to answer this eerie phone call. As she picked up, I sat straight up. I muted the television in hopes of hearing what the conversation. At approximately three minutes later, the telephone fell from my mother’s hands with her faced drowned in the waves of water coming from her eyes. She cried “Why?” My Grandmother had just died.
Family : My Grandmother Mildred truly defined the word family as I have come to learn and live it. Holidays and family gatherings were the celebrations they were because they were surrounded by Grandma’s love. I watched family such as my late uncle Reginald become the amazing family man he was because of traditions instilled by his mother. I have also seen her daughter - my aunt Milinda – raise three beautiful children by the love and traditions passed down from Grandma. I, of course, owe most of who I am from Grandma’s love passed down through my own mother Rayetta and her husband George, whom Grandma so highly regarded.
“Every life comes with a death sentence” is a quote from Walter White, on the famous TV show Breaking Bad, after being diagnosed with cancer. This statement is true, and will continue to remain true for as long as humans are sentient beings. Death carries with it a number of emotional hurtles that are faced by the family and friends of the deceased. How do funerals change with different religious affiliations, specifically between Catholic, Islam and secular followers? Moreover, what values do funerals possess that have made them such a backbone to society? Overall, funerals provide a way for all people of faith or otherwise to have a socially acceptable way to grieve loved ones, which is why it is prevalent in most, if not all religious denominations.
She was my grandpa’s mother and my grandma had taken care of her every single day. We opened the creaky door to be welcomed with dreary, empty faces filled with grief and despair. That same day, I saw my grandfather cry for the first and only time until this day. That single moment I think is when I came to a strong realization and maybe even a
RE What happens when we die (Christianity) Christian funeral services serve the same purpose: to pray for the soul of the deceased, as well as to offer comfort and support to the bereaved. The typical Christian funeral includes: • when the funeral starts it is opened by a prayer or a view words by a loved one or a priest • Prayers are read throughout the funeral.
As I walked in to their bedroom, I found my mother sitting on the bed, weeping quietly, while my father lay on the bed in a near unconscious state. This sight shocked me, I had seen my father sick before, but by the reaction of my mother and the deathly look on my father’s face I knew that something was seriously wrong.
There have been a vast number of lives that have touched mine. Many different people have shared a piece of their soul in my formation. However, it is my mother who is the most important and most influential person in my life. My mother raised me by herself since the day I was born. My father was abusive and she left to make a better life for the both of us. She has worked as many as four jobs at one time. My mother wants to make sure my brothers and I have a better life than she did. It hasn’t always been easy for her, taking care of us on her own, trying to pay bills and making sure we had everything we needed. My mom has always had us involved in sports at a very young age. We always were doing something or involved in something growing up. We went to summer school all through elementary school because she wanted us to get a head start. I remember when we were little she enrolled us I a manners and more class and I can recall when we would go out to eat people would compliment us on how well behaved we were.
The Funeral Consumers Alliance consists of 115 non-profit funeral organizations. These organizations are demographically controlled establishments catering to the needs of consumers located in the region where their respected establishments are founded. The funeral societies offer many resources, services, and knowledge based materials Above all, funeral societies have the main mission goal to promote informed and advanced planning for funeral and memorial arrangements.
Two years and four months ago I died. A terrible condition struck me, and I was unable to do anything about it. In a matter of less than a year, it crushed down all of my hopes and dreams. This condition was the death of my mother. Even today, when I talk about it, I burst into tears because I feel as though it was yesterday. I desperately tried to forget, and that meant living in denial about what had happened. I never wanted to speak about it whenever anyone would ask me how I felt. To lose my Mom meant losing my life. I felt I died with her. Many times I wished I had given up, but I knew it would break the promise we made years before she passed away. Therefore, I came back from the dead determined and more spirited than before.