Today's post is from expert florist Matthew McDonald of Bookshelf Florist and Gifts in Gaffney, SC, www.bookshelfflorist.com.
For those who have lost a loved one, a funeral service is of extreme importance. Grief counselors will tell you that the family and friends need a chance to get together to grieve for the loss and to share memories of the deceased. This is very comforting during the first few days.
The most appropriate expression of sympathy is sending funeral flowers. Flowers provide a thoughtful and beautiful distraction from the grief of survivors.
Even if the family has expressed a desire for a financial contribution to their favorite charities, flowers should still be sent. Even though the notice may read “In Lieu of Flowers” or “Sympathy memorials may be made to the charity of your choice” flowers are always appropriate.
Floral tributes can be customized to reflect the personality, culture and traditions of the deceased. In South Carolina, standing sprays and funeral baskets are the most requested.
Flowers help people express feelings that are difficult to express. Flowers show respect for the dead, add warmth to the service and provide visual support. With flowers, the atmosphere becomes more pleasant and mourners more comfortable. The value and importance of flowers sent in sympathy can never be overstated.
Flowers and greens have always played an important role in burial traditions. Humans and flowers are both products of nature, testaments to the mystery of being. With their essential but fleeting beauty, flowers remind us of our own existence and the temporal quality of our human lives.
In ancient times, herbs were used to anoint the bodies of their loved ones, and they also held “wakes.” Ancient civilizations across Europe and the Middle East also burned, buried or entombed flowers with the dead.
Matthew McDonald
Bookshelf Florist and Gifts
www.BookshelFlorist.com
