Should I or Shouldn’t I Go to the Funeral?

When someone passes away, there may be times when you are unsure of whether to attend the funeral or not, especially if you had a difficult or complex relationship with the deceased.

People often wonder whether they should just meet the family post-service or attend the visitation ony. Many factors are taken into consideration when deciding on this. Since there is no fixed answer to the question and every person and relationship is different it can be difficult to make such a decision.

Points to consider:

Whether you decide to go or not would largely depend on what your relationship with the decedent and the family has been, and how close you are to them. Here are a few pointers to help you make that decision:

• Consider your relationship with the deceased. If you didn’t see eye to eye with the decedent or didn’t have a healthy relationship with the person it would be wise to take the family members feelings into account and not attend the service. However, if you are in contact with some of the family members sending a condolence message or card is always a nice gesture.
• If the service is for family members only, it is something you should respect. If you aren’t a part of the family you have the option to go the visitation or make a house call. If the service has been marked as a “family only” service, but if you have been invited to attend it, you should make it a point to go and pay your respects.
• Sometimes it may not be possible for you to attend the funeral. In that case, make it a point to call the family and inform them of your absence.

If you want to know more about funeral etiquette, or have any questions regarding funeral services simply contact us at Ocean County Cremation Service today. We’ll be more than happy to help.