Every generation has a different way of doing things and if you are a parent or even a grandparent, you may not understand how those coming behind you do things. If you have worked with funeral homes in Baltimore, MD to arrange final services for a loved one, and you have younger generations in your family, you might want to understand how their grief is different than yours so you can help them through the situation as best you can. Here are a few things to know.
It Might Be Their First Loss
When a child loses their grandparent or another family member, it could very well be their first experience with grief. Even if they are old enough to understand how death works and that the person isn’t returning, they may never have felt this way before and they may not know how to deal with it. Understand that the first time losing someone can be quite an experience and their reactions could be unique, even to them.
Grief Often Comes Gradually
Even younger generations have experienced disappointment and smaller forms of grief, but their grief may come in smaller ways and come on gradually. They might recognize that the person is gone, but their grief will really hit them when that person doesn’t show up at their graduation or for a birthday celebration. They may not be able to see the big picture right away as to how their life will be impacted by that loss.
Media Might Be A Large Part Of It
Not every younger person is going to feel comfortable talking to you about what they are going through. But social media is likely a huge part of their life. Watch their news feeds and their posts to see what they might be saying about what they are going through. Perhaps they don’t post anything at all, but they might and if they do, you need to know what they are saying. They might go to their friends or virtual friends online to get the comfort they need during this time. That’s a fine way to mourn, but you need to be there for them as well.
Survivor’s Guilt Is Prevalent
There are a lot of reasons why the young person in your life might actually feel guilty over the loss of a loved one. Perhaps they were in a car accident with that person and the other person perished while they survived. Maybe a friend of theirs died from drinking and they drink as well. They might wonder why it happened to that person and not to them. Survivor’s guilt can happen to anyone, but yon people feel it especially hard.
When you are working with funeral homes in Baltimore, MD, you can get grief resources you need to get through the grief yourself, and to help the younger people in your life climb through the hardest days. The professionals at Hari P. Close Funeral Service, P.A. are here to help you organize final services, and also to get through the grieving period.
