Writing a Eulogy

Shelly was identified at work as a very conservative individual who had an outstanding work record. She never went to any of the happy hours immediately after work and it was recognized throughout the company that she was an extremely religious individual who often talked about the risks regarding alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency in our country.

Try to think of the surprise within the company when one Monday morning Shelly did not show up for work and not a soul had heard from her. In reality, it wasn’t until close to 9:45 in the morning that the human resources department received a phone call about Shelly from the local city jail.

Shelly Goes Out Drinking Along With a Handful of Her College House Mates

Apparently, Shelly went out drinking together with a few of her university house mates Saturday night and sometime about 3:00 Sunday morning, Shelly was arrested for a DWI. Given that her blood alcohol content level was particularly elevated, she was mandated to spend one day in the neighborhood jail.

Shelly Talks to Her Manager and The Human Resources Director

When Shelly came to work on Tuesday morning, she instantly informed her superior what had transpired and she asked if she could possibly go and talk to the Human Resources director about her “driving under the influence” arrest.

When she got to the HR department and met with the director, she explained that she hadn’t been inebriated since her college days and that she was especially embarrassed about her “driving while intoxicated” arrest. She also emphasized the point that she required some help selecting a highly skilled and productive “drunk driving” attorney who would represent her “driving under the influence” case. Stated differently, Shelly really wanted the Human Resources manager to agree that she needed to see a DUI lawyer.

The Human Resources manager told Shelly that she ought to make an appointment with somebody within the company employee’s assistance program to go over any possible drinking problem that she might have. The HR director also mentioned that she needs to explain her desire to employ a “driving while intoxicated” lawyer to represent her concerning her “drunk driving” case.

In addition, the Human Resources director told Shelly that it was constructive that she really wanted to employ a “drunk driving” lawyer mainly because of the complexities and problematic implications that happen to be linked to a DWI conviction.

The Human Resources manager could tell that Shelly was visibly disappointed and embarrassed by this total problem. Consequently, he assured Shelly that while he doesn’t believe that conscientious people should ever get behind the steering wheel after consuming alcohol, regrettably these predicaments sometimes take place to pretty good men and women.

The Human Resources director then mentioned that since such a circumstance can’t be undone, what is crucial is what the particular person does from this point in time forward. As expressed by the Human Resources director, “does the particular person learn from his or her mistakes or does the person develop a pattern of alcohol related troubles that cause the individual chronic pain and suffering”?

Fortunately, Shelly Did Not Have a History of Abusive and Irresponsible Drinking

Just before completing their conversation, the Human Resources director shared with Shelly that it was very positive that she doesn’t have a record of abusive and irresponsible drinking. Not only this but she hasn’t had an alcohol-related condition since her university days (which was just about 15 years ago). As a consequence, Shelly should be in a position to confront her “driving under the influence” arrest with sorrow but also with a degree of self-assurance knowing that she will confront and work through this condition and become a better person in the long run.

Shelly thanked the Human Resources director for his supportive and motivating words and then walked over towards the company employee’s assistance program go over her “driving under the influence” arrest, her participation in careless drinking drinking over the past weekend, and her interest to hire a “driving under the influence” attorney to represent her “driving under the influence” case.

After listening to Shelly’s “story,” the counselor that was part of the company employee’s assistance program articulated Shelly’s immediate “action plan” that she needed to address and follow. First, she would be required to take a DUI class to learn more DUI facts and information. Second, she would also be required to take an alcohol abuse class to address her possible drinking problem. Third, she would have to see a psychiatrist, counselor, therapist, or psychologist about her depression. And finally, it would be an especially sensible thing to do if she were to talk to a DUI lawyer about her DUI arrest.

Shelly Feels a Sense of Relief Knowing That She Will Learn From Her Oversight and Grow To Be More Accountable and Successful

It was obvious that Shelly was really disrupted with the whole DUI scenario, but after talking to the Human Resources manager and to the counselor in the company employee’s assistance program, she felt comfort knowing that she would in reality learn from her blunder and become even more healthy and balanced, more accountable and successful, and an even more thankful individual.

Over the past ten or twenty years, society has begun to think about death in new ways, and the role of the funeral director has adapted to meet these new needs. These days, funeral homes are seen as much more of a ‘one stop shop’, offering services that range from floral tributes to lasting keepsakes.

For an increasing amount of people, whilst grief is obviously still at its core, the funeral of a loved one has become an opportunity to celebrate their life, rather than focus on mourning. Traditional black attire and solemn hymns have begun to give way to the occasional introduction of subtle color and even favorite pop songs. The funeral director has needed to adapt to this cultural drift and offer a broader range of services to fit both with this more contemporary approach as well as the traditional one still favored by many people, particularly by the older generations.

Since the option of pre-payment was introduced twenty or thirty years ago, pre-paid funeral plans have steadily been on the increase. A growing number even go beyond this, not only paying for their own funeral in advance, but planning the actual ceremony, so the family approaches the funeral director knowing the full wishes of their loved one.

To deal as efficiently as they can with a death, funeral directors also need to be aware of the shifting business of life. As well as dealing first-hand with grief, they can offer counseling, legal assistance and financial guidance. Rather than the ‘body-centered’ service of earlier years, today the profession is much more knowledge-based.

From a financial perspective, funeral directors have seen the profit margin reduce quite significantly. This has led to many expanding their range of services and products, including online obituaries and creative keepsakes.

Funeral directors will have to continue adapting their services for many years to come. However, whatever changes the future may bring, their role will remain sensitive and practical.

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With origins dating back to 1853, E.F. Box are one of the oldest funeral directors within the UK. They offer a range of funeral services across a variety of faiths, beliefs and ways of celebrating life.

Memorials and headstones are available in many different materials, colors and sizes, and so choosing between them can be confusing.

You should start with the color. What was your loved ones favorite color? Granite headstones come in pretty much every color, so do not think that you are restricted to choosing from black, gray and white. The majority of cemeteries permit various colors of headstones and memorials, unfortunately churchyards are stricter. Your cemetery or churchyard should be able to provide you with a copy of their rules and regulations.

Once you have chosen the color, spend some time thinking about what writing should be engraved onto the headstone or memorial. You should definitely include the name of the deceased, and the dates of their birth and death, but the rest of the epitaph is free for you to add your messages of love or favorite sayings.

Most headstones and memorials come in set sizes. Bigger is not necessarily mean better; a smaller, better quality one can be equally as nice. Churchyards will only permit headstones or memorials up to a maximum height, but most cemeteries will allow them to be any size. You can also personalize the headstone or memorial with a design too. Many different designs are available to be sandblasted or laser etched on to it. These can range from simple flower headers and crosses to a portrait of your loved one, or engravings of their favorite pastime or pet.

You can get ideas by looking on the Internet, as there are lots of websites that have online catalogs of headstones and memorials. You can also take a walk around a churchyard or cemetery near where you live to see which styles you prefer. As with everything in life, prices will vary and are negotiable, so be sure to enquire about discounts and be prepared to visit at least a few stores. Once your order has been placed, you can expect the memorial or headstone to be completed in less than a month.

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You are now ready to take your memorial design to a memorial mason.

Funeral directing has changed a lot since it first began to emerge as a profession over two hundred years ago. For years, funerals were arranged by people who just did it part time alongside their day job, who often did it just because it had become their family’s traditional role within the community. They arranged for someone to prepare the body (often referred to as ‘the layer out’) and organized the coffin maker and grave digger. Finally, the funeral service would be conducted in a churchyard by a minister.

Funerals were strongly community-centered and those preparing the bodies were very often the same women who acted as midwives. Now, the role of the undertaker has evolved from this community base and the majority of those involved in funeral directing today are in firms with a long, established family history.

Once the coffin was made, it was then taken to the house of the deceased by the undertaker and his men. If the doorway was too narrow, as it often was in those days, the undertaker’s carpenter had to remove windows for the coffin to be taken inside. This process then had to be repeated when the coffin was later removed for the funeral.

Families chose the front room or parlor as the final resting place for their loved one, who would be laid out in their best clothes and who would be left with the family until the day of the funeral. During this time relatives and family members would come to pay their respects. The Chapels of Rest that we are familiar with in funeral establishments today did not appear until the 1950s.

With the coffin set on trestles in the parlor, candles would be arranged either side and a small altar set up at the foot of it. As embalming was reserved only for very wealthy clients, the undertaker would make regular visits to the house to ensure that the body remained in a bearable condition. It was common practice for families to place fragrant flowers around the room to hide the unpleasant odors which naturally arose.

On the day of the funeral, which usually took place three or four days after death, the family and friends lined up outside their homes. With curtains drawn, out of respect, they would stand silently as the cortege passed. The body was nearly always buried in the nearest churchyard, as a fee had to be paid to move the body outside of a town’s boundaries.

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With origins dating back to 1853, E.F. Box are one of the oldest funeral directors within the UK. They offer a range of funeral director services across a variety of faiths, beliefs and ways of celebrating life.