Funeral Home Coral Gables Florida

Rituals such as funerals, memorial services, celebrations of life, and so forth are just as symbolic and necessary to the human experience as weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. They are symbolic. They mark new chapters in our lives—good or bad. Rituals help us, together with our families and friends, to express our deepest emotions and thoughts during the most important events life has to offer. In the passing of a loved one, this coming together and expression of emotions aids in the transition from life with our loved one to life without them. Here is a list of what ritualistic ceremonies have in common:

• They are typically public events.
• They tend to follow an established, culturally specific process (in general, the details of a ritual may vary, but the general pattern is apparent).
• As mentioned, rituals are symbolic. Examples: wedding rings, christening gowns, birthday cakes, black attire at funerals, a white dress on the bride.

The act of “saying final good-byes” in a funeral-like setting has been a means of belief expression for thousands of years. Human beings tend toward the need to ceremoniously acknowledge significant changes—from our Sweet Sixteen birthdays to Latin America’s Quinceañera, to the Rites of Passage in African societies—we are all the same in this way: we need to acknowledge new chapters. What the funeral ceremony will provide the survivors of a lost loved one:

• It will help the bereaved to acknowledge that someone they love has passed away
• Allows an opportunity to say goodbye
• Provides an essential gathering for family, friends, and community
• Allows for reflection on life and death—a healthy introspection
• Provides a sense of closure
• Encourages a healthy mourning process to begin/continue
• Acts as the first of many new public gatherings without the loved one’s presence
• Fulfills the need to honor the life and death of the deceased with a special tribute
• Cultivates support in and among family and friends

While each grief journey is as unique as the person who mourns, there are certain basic needs we all need to have met for true healing to begin. We all need to:

• Acknowledge the reality of the death
• Move toward the pain of the loss in an effort to move through it
• Learn a new relationship with the deceased through memories
• Develop a new self-identity as a friend, spouse, child, mother, sibling, etc. without our loved one
• Search for meaning and confront our higher power/God to work toward acceptance
• Allow and continue to receive support from others

Meaningful funeral ceremonies are comprised of different parts that make for a very significant experience for family and friends. Spanning different faiths and cultures, some of the same elements can be found here in Florida to other corners of the nation:

• Music: helps us access our feelings and memories—both happy and sad. Consider choosing music which was meaningful to your loved one who’s passed on.
• Readings: this can include something someone has written in honor of the decedent’s life, spiritual book excerpts, poetry, etc.
• Visitation: this activates the needed support group the close family member will rely upon throughout the coming weeks, months, and even years.
• Eulogy: usually written and/or read by a very close family member, friend, or clergyman.
• Symbols: these do the speaking for us when we can’t for ourselves—flowers, food, candles, the procession, etc.
• Memories: in most settings, memories are discussed, cried over, laughed about, and shared.

Simply put, our role is to plan and carry out a meaningful funeral or memorial service which is uniquely designed to honor the loved one’s life, his or her final wishes, and the family’s wishes.

We proudly live out our life callings of community service and empathy. Our commitment: whenever you need us—day or night—our staff at Ferdinand Funeral Homes & Crematory is here for you.