You Don't Have to Grieve Alone

Grief is a journey.

Following the death of a loved one, it’s important to take positive, proactive steps to make sure you’re grieving in a healthy way.

The following information may or may not be relevant to your own circumstances. We are providing this in an attempt to aid you in finding your path through the grieving process.

Our interest and care for the families we serve does not end with the funeral service. We recognize the significant changes and feelings of loss that families experience after the death of a loved one. Therefore, we provide monthly contact with our families through newsletters and personal contacts. We provide “Miracles & Memories,” a Christmas program, for families to recognize their special needs and provide comfort and support.

 

Grief Support Resources

  • The Phases of Grief
  • The Firsts You Don't Expect
  • National Support Groups
  • Grief Support Newsletter

The Phases of Grief

Grief isn’t something you process overnight; in some ways, it’s something you may never fully “get over.” Rather, grief is a journey, and it can encompass a range of moods and reactions. As you mourn the loss of a loved one, it’s important to be prepared for shifting expressions of your grief.

To that end, there is a classic, five-stage model that maps out the grief journey. While your personal experience may not totally align with this model, it can nevertheless be a useful tool for charting your feelings.

The five classic phases of grief include:

1. Denial. In the denial phase, your grief is so fresh and so raw that you may feel like you’re in a state of shock. Those in the denial phase simply want to push forward and try to make it through each day, and they may not spend much time actually thinking about their feelings.

2. Anger. Next comes the anger phase, in which those who have lost a loved one may feel deserted, abandoned by God, or simply resentful over the time they’ve lost with their loved one. Anger is a good and healthy part of the grieving process.

3. Bargaining. In the bargaining phase, it may be tempting to try to “make a deal” with God or with the universe, hoping that you may wake up and find that your loved one’s death was all a dream. Bargaining is often accompanied by intense feelings of guilt.

4. Depression. A season of melancholy is to be expected from those who grieve. Depression may also feel like profound state of emptiness or meaninglessness.

5. Acceptance. Those who “accept” death may still feel quite sad, and this does not mean their grieving journey is over—but it does mean they have reached a healthy place of truly engaging with their feelings and being honest about how grief has impacted them.

No matter how your own grief journey unfolds, always remember: You are not alone in this season of trial.

You will not "get over" the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler

The Firsts You Don't Expect

In our lifetimes we all have those special life changing moments, perhaps some with excitement and overwhelming joy. While some are met with heartbreak and tears.

We all anticipate a baby's first step, first words and first day of school. We anticipate graduation from High School and College.

We plan on the bigger things like buying your first car, the joy of a wedding and the pride of buying a new home.

What about the other "firsts " that most people don't necessarily like to think about? There are also many firsts after losing a loved one.

It's those first that can seem like a mountain that you will never reach the top of. The first night of sleeping in your home alone, the first month the bills that have to be paid and especially the first anniversary of your loved ones passing.

It is difficult sometimes to realize that some things will ever be the same after you lose a loved one. You may feel left out of your circle of friends because they may feel it will upset you to be around other couples. Unfortunately, they do not realize that their actions may actually be making you feel worse.

Firstly, know that you are not alone; in fact, there are more people dealing with those "firsts" than you know.

Take a deep breath when you are having a "first" moment. Take a look outside and see the beauty of nature. It can be as simple as seeing a hummingbird or a dragonfly or a cloud formation. If you are so inclined: pray or meditate, turn over your grief and stress and sadness to a higher power.

Know that you are not alone in these feelings. There are so many others that are going through the same "First" with you. We at Mobile Memorial Gardens are not just the funeral home, we are your extended family during your time of grief. Our website and office have several grief resources available to you and your family should you need them. If you need to talk about your experience, we are a phone call away.

Our staff is always here for you.

National Support Groups

We understand that the loss of a loved one effects different people in different ways, and sometimes you may need a little extra encouragement to continue on. It is our funeral home's commitment to help establish a healthy grief process.

AARP
Grief and Loss Programs
601 E. Street, NW
Washington, DC 20049
1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)

AIDS United
1424 K Street, N.W., Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 408-4848

Alive Alone
P.O. Box 182
Van Wert, OH 45891

ALS Association
1275 K Street NW - Suite 250
Washington, DC 20005
(800) 782-4747

Alzheimer's Association
225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17
Chicago, IL 60601
1-800-272-3900

American Association of Suicidology
5221 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20015
(202) 237-2280

American Cancer Society
250 Williams Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
1-800-227-2345

American Childhood Cancer Organization
10920 Connecticut Ave.
Suite A
Kensington MD 20895
855-858-2226
301-962-3520

American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311
1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383)

American Foundation for AIDS Research
120 Wall Street, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10005-3908
(212) 806-1600

American Heart Association
7320 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, TX 75231
1-800-AHA-USA-1

American Kidney Fund
11921 Rockville Pike, Suite 300
Rockville, MD 20852
(800) 638-8299

American Liver Foundation
1425 Pomptom Ave.
Cedar Grove, NJ 07009-1000
1-800-465-4837

American Lung Association
55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 1150
Chicago, IL 60601
1-800-LUNGUSA

American SIDS Institute
528 Raven Way
Naples, Florida 34110
239-431-5425

Association for Death Education and Counseling
111 Deer Lake Road, Suite 100
Deerfield, IL 60015
847-509-0403

Backstoppers
10411 Clayton Road, Suite A5
St. Louis, MO 63131
314-692-0200

Bereaved Parents of the USA
Post Office Box 622
St. Peters, MO 63376
800-273-8255

Bereavement Services/RTS
Gunderson Health System
1900 South Ave., Mailstop AVS-003
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608) 775-4747 or
800-362-9567

Center for Loss in Multiple Birth (CLIMB), Inc.
P.O. Box 91377
Anchorage, AK 99509
(907) 222-5321

The Compassionate Friends
P.O. Box 3696
Oak Brook, IL 60522-3696
(630) 990-0010
(877) 969-0010
(Supports families who have experienced
the death of a child)

Concerns of Police Survivors
P.O. Box 3199, So. Highway 5
Camdenton, MO 65020
573-346-4911

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
6931 Arlington Road, 2nd floor
Bethesda, MD 20814
(800) 344-4823

Funeral Service Educational Foundation
13625 Bishop's Drive
Brookfield, WI 53005-6607
(877) 402-5900

Hospice Foundation of America
1710 Rhode Island Ave, NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 457-5811
(800) 854-3402

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
1311 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 310
White Plains, NY 10605
(914) 949-5213

The Living Bank
Organ and Tissue Donation
Box 6725
Houston, TX 77265
(800) 528-2971

Make-A-Wish -  America
4742 N. 24th St., Suite 400
Phoenix, AZ 85016
(602) 279-9474
(800) 722-9474

March of Dimes
1275 Marnaroneck Ave.
White Plains, NY 10605
(914) 997-4488

Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Victim Assistance Program
511 E John Carpenter Freeway
Suite 700
Irving, TX 75062
877-MADD-HELP

Muscular Dystrophy Association
222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1500
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(800) 572-1717

National Donor Family Council
C/o National Kidney Foundation
30 East 33rd St.
New York, NY 10016
(800) 622-9010
(For Families of those who died and became organ and/or tissue donors.)

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
1731 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-837-1500

National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children, Inc.
National (POMC)
4960 Ridge Avenue, Suite # 2
Cincinnati, Ohio 45209
(513) 721-5683
(888) 818-7662

The Salvation Army National Headquarters
615 Slaters Ln.
PO Box 269
Alexandria, VA 22313
(703) 684-5500

Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support
402 Jackson Street
Saint Charles, Missouri 63301-3468
(800) 821-6819
(For families who have experienced the death of a baby due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death.)

First Candle
SIDS Alliance
2105 Laurel Bush Road, Suite 201
Bel Air, MD 21015
(800) 221-7437
(443) 640-1049

Society of Military Widows
5535 Hempstead Way
Springfield, VA 22151
1-800-842-3451

TBI/Tissue Banks International
815 Parks Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21201
(800) 756-4824
410-752-3800

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors Inc. (TAPS)
3033 Wilson Blvd. Suite 630
Arlington, VA 22201
(800) 959-8277
(202) 588-8277

United Cerebral Palsy
1825 K Street NW Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 776-0406
800-872-5827

Our Family’s Commitment to Your Family
Continues After the Services

It is your family, your feelings, and your money. Grimes Funeral Chapels believes a family deserves real quality and value in a funeral service. Grimes Funeral Chapels is dedicated to providing the best service to every family we serve.