When a friend is ushering a loved one through a cremation service, they might need your support. You can be a listening ear and offer your help in other areas around the service.

When you hear that a friend of yours has lost a loved one, your heart goes out to them. Perhaps you have lost someone close to you so you know that grief is hard. Even if that has yet to happen to you, you empathize with their situation and you imagine what they must be feeling. It’s natural to want to help someone you care about as they plan a cremation service in LaGrange, IL for a loved one. Here are a few things you might do.

Offer Specific Help Around The Service

When you hear what your friend is planning, you might offer your help around the cremation service. One thing you can do is simply attend to show your support, but you can also offer to do things to help with the service. If they are doing something traditional, perhaps they want to have a reception for their family after and you can offer to host and organize that for them. You could also offer to shuttle family to and from airports and hotels and other such things to pitch in however you can in order to take some of the pressure off your friend.

Be A Listening Ear

Sometimes the best thing you can offer to do is simply listen to your friend. They might not feel like they can vent to just anyone and since you are a little farther from the situation, you could be a good person to hear all of the details that they are struggling with. Listen to them with care and follow up on things they might have said later. Asking about those specific concerns can make them feel like you really care and give them all the more reason to confide in you next time around.

Watch For A Need And Fill It

When you attend the cremation service, watch for a need among the family members and do your best to fill it. If a family member has a baby that starts crying, offer to take the child into the hall for a diaper change so that family member can stay for the service without so much distraction. If you notice confusion in getting to the right room for the service, stand at the outside door to offer directions. You can also ask if there are any areas that need to be covered last minute and offer your help there.

Check In On Occasion

Once the services are in the past, check in with your friend and see how they are doing. It might be nice to write their loved one’s death date or birthdate on your calendar as those might be hard days for your friend to get through. You can check in with them on those days or send a card to show that you are thinking of them.

Having a friend organizing a cremation service in LaGrange, IL means you are their support system and there are lots of things you can do to fill that role. The professionals at Chicagoland Cremation Options can offer more suggestions.