Offering Healing Experiences vs. Memorial Products
Last week I shared with you The 3 Laws of Creating Healing Experiences and hopefully encouraged you to re-evaluate everything you’re doing to ensure you’re creating healing experiences.
So today, I’m going to take three different types of memorial products and see how they stack up against the 3 laws of creating healing experiences.
Memorial Jewelry
Memorial jewelry can be made from sterling silver, glass, wood and gold. Some memorial jewelry is custom made using favorite photos, and some have reservoirs for cremains or a lock of hair. While there are thousands of forms, including pendants, rings, key chains, and bracelets with urn charms – let’s ask ourselves, “Does any one of these stimulate – and help capture – memories?”
The answer is “no.” The same goes for the second and third questions:
- Does it create a positive environment during the services?
- Does it connect the family to the larger community?
Nope. No way.
Now let’s look at another two common memorial products used by funeral homes across the country.
Memorial Candles
The tradition of lighting candles for loved ones who have passed away goes back thousands of years and remains a strong tradition even in the age of modern technology. Funeral homes often provide a personalized memorial candle as a gift to the immediate family, and that’s a lovely, heartwarming gesture.
But, when we ask those all-important questions, you’ll see that they don’t create healing experiences.
Keepsake Holiday Ornaments
When these ornaments are part of a holiday remembrance service, where families gather to honor and celebrate the lives of those recently lost to them, then there’s more healing value in these products. But it’s the experience of coming together that gives us “yes” answers to our three questions, not the product itself. In fact, the ornaments themselves fail miserably when we apply any one of our three questions:
1. Does it stimulate – and help families capture – memories? No.
2. Does it create a positive environment during the services? No!
3. Does it connect the family to the larger community? Definitely not.
So, in the end, let me ask you… “Is it possible to help someone heal after they lose a loved one by giving them a keepsake to sit on a shelf? Will anyone of these memorial products really “set them right again”?
Final Thoughts.
Just because a product doesn’t help create healing experiences, doesn’t mean it isn’t a great product; it simply means it should be optional for the families. But, healing experiences should always be an integral part of what you do for every family to help them love, laugh, and live well again.
I’d like you to look at those memorial products you currently offer families, and subject each of them to the “Big 3” questions. Share your findings in the comments section.
Next week I’ll share with you my #1 healing secret, and how funeral directors across the country are using it.
Joe,
It is true that some of the material things do not give them a healing process. We do not offer any of the Product items, only if the family asks for them. We let the family know we can obtain these items if they really would like them. Very few ask. How ever the sympathy cards I send with the picture and obit on it have become great keepsakes and they let us know that it will stay out in their home. We are planning a Thanksgiving Memorial services this month. Asking those who come to bring a non perishable food item in honor of their loved ones to give to the food pantry locally for the holidays. It is becoming a great success also as for the at -needs memorial contributions also. It is something physically they can see being done in honor of their loved one and it gives them some healing they are helping those in need also.
I never want a family feeling we are out to get them for their money, which from articles and other publications have led families to believe that is all Funeral Homes want from them. However, I feel funeral directors have lost some respect by cheapening a service and not letting people realize the hard work, long hours and how much we truly give up to help families through this difficult time. I could go on, but I will stop.
I have grown up around the funeral industry all my life and I know both my Great Grandfather and Grandfather must be rolling over in their graves as to what has happened to some of industry. Our firm was started in 1905. We try to keep most of the family tradition and blend it in with the new. I wish there were more we could really do to reach out to the families.
I still would like to know if you received the Brownies I sent you with a card?
Thank you,
Kathleen
Kathleen,
What a great follow up! I so agree. Thank you for the input and great suggestions!
Anya
Great information! Now it will be easy to present a sympathy gift to near and dear ones suffering from the pain of death of their loved one. It would be great if you can share more posts about different types of memorial gifts available in the market.
Memorial jewelry is one of the way to express love for your loved one through jewelry in the froms of rings necklaces.
Thanks for such a nice blogging efforts keep it up !!
Thanks
Using Glass cremation jewelry is beautiful for our loved ones. I’m looking for my mom’s urn. It is practical to have cremation jewelry for our loved ones. We can bring it wherever we go. checking at this link. https://minimemorials.com/collections/glass
I think it’s good that there are lots of options to aid those who are grieving. I myself bought a cremation urn necklace from https://minimemorials.com/collections/urn-necklace to keep my father’s memory alive and with me always.
For me, the glass cremation jewelry I got from https://minimemorials.com/collections/glass were really a healing factor when I lost my father years ago. I think keepsakes offer more than just being keepsakes.