As people spread out rapidly around the country and the world from their hometown, they leave behind family members who they may never see again if they pass away. And if that individual goes with a traditional funeral, some of their family members may not get the chance to see the service. As a result, cremation has become a popular choice for many in large and separated families. Here are some ways a cremation funeral can help families grieve when they are too far apart.
Funerals Can Be Hard to Attend
Funeral directors are often running up against many difficult challenges with large families. For example, they may find that certain family members across the country want to schedule the burial according to their travel needs. These types of conflicts are often quite common with many families and put not only the funeral director but the rest of the family in a tough situation.
Often, it's not as if the person demanding changes is being rude or selfish—they simply want to see their loved one before they are buried. However, a body can only be preserved for so long before burial, which means that these types of adjustments may not even be possible. As a result, family conflict may be a real possibility if cremation is not considered an alternative to burial.
Why Cremation May Be a Good Choice
Families spread across the country can use cremation funerals as a great alternative to burial. First of all, cremation is less expensive and involved, which means that the service can be held in multiple spots. For example, if the family primarily lives in one part of the country, they can set up a service for their loved one and get the cremated remains shipped to them to say their final goodbyes to their family member.
And even if this type of service is not performed, cremation is still a good idea for widespread families because it creates a permanent reminder of their loved one. As a result, they can visit the holder of the cremated remains and say goodbye later in life. Though it may not be the same as seeing their body before it is buried, knowing that they can still grieve their loved one's passing can make the mourning process easier for many people to handle.
The most interesting thing about cremation is that it can create a unique level of cohesion for mourning among family members. Rather than struggling to remember the loved one years later, it may be possible to come back to their urn and a picture that may be contained in it. This type of coherency is often critical for those struggling to accept the loss of a loved one.