Blog | Found and Sons Funeral Chapels & Cremation Service

Surviving the Winter Blues

Surviving the Winter Blues

Even living in the beautiful state of Virginia, the winter months can get a little hard and maybe even depressing, as the days get shorter and the temperature dips. This can be even more true if you’ve recently lost a loved one.

But it is important to try and keep your spirits up, and there are many ways you can do so, even amid your grief. As much as you can, try get outside and get a little sunshine and exercise. If it’s simply too chilly for you, invite a friend or family member over to watch old movies or play a favorite board game. Ask your grandkids over to make your favorite oatmeal raisin cookies or build a fire to roast marshmallows.

When you’re tempted to dwell on the winter blues or on your loss, try to focus on all of the wonderful things you have in your life – it is true what they say, no matter how bad it gets, there is always something to be thankful for. A lot of the families we serve find that a gratitude journal becomes helpful to them in darker moments.

Also, don’t negate the healing power of laughter. Go online and watch funny cat videos if that gives you a chuckle!

Finally, continually make plans and schedule outings for yourself. As busy holiday schedules are ramping down here in the New Year, it’s the perfect time to start a weekly poker game with your neighbors or host a dinner party with friends every Monday evening. This will also give you something to look forward to, and you won’t find yourself sitting home alone. And you never know – that friend or neighbor might be having some winter blues themselves. Your invitation could be just what the doctor ordered.

Most of all, remember you’re never alone in your loneliness or grief. Here at Found and Sons, we are always here for you. We believe that our care for you and responsibility to you does not end when the funeral service is over. We can offer you a number resources for emotional support. Sometimes, a family member needs a bit of extra support. We can make referrals to support groups and grief counselors to provide the help they need.

Remember: when you choose Found and Sons Funeral Chapels & Cremation Service, you will always have a friend in Culpeper and Fredericksburg.

Why a Permanent Memorial is Always Important

Why a Permanent Memorial is Always Important

Many Culpeper and Fredericksburg families find that cremation meets their family’s needs best. Even if cremation is your loved one’s choice, we always try to stress the importance of establishing a permanent memorial for a loved one. We have found this can be very helpful to the grieving and healing process. An enduring honor to a family member or friend gives those who loved them a place to connect and pay their respects after they’re gone.

At Found and Sons, there are many meaningful memorialization option s available with cremation, even if you decide to scatter your loved one’s cremated remains in a meaningful location. We can make it possible for you to scatter a portion of the cremated remains while saving the rest to preserve in a piece of beautiful keepsake jewelry or in an urn that can be displayed in your home. You might also choose to bury a portion of the cremated remains outdoors or place them in a mausoleum. Some even choose to have a part of the remains become a part of a living reef or launched into space. We can make all of these things happen at Found and Sons.

Another option is a columbarium niche. This wall of recessed spaces holds specifically designed urns of different styles and sizes. Some columbarium niches allow space for personal items and have enough space for multiple urns, so you can keep your family together for generations to come.

One very meaningful expression we have seen some families make is dedicating trees, plants, or other meaningful items in honor of a loved one. If your father enjoyed sitting outside and experiencing nature, perhaps a bench dedicated to him would be a special tribute. If your grandmother loved roses, planting a rose bush in her honor would be lovely. Come to the memorialization experts at Found and Sons. We can help introduce you to our various memorialization options available.

Managing Grief During the Holidays

The holidays are supposed to be a time of great joy for Culpeper and Fredericksburg families. Despite all of the family togetherness and holiday cheer though, this time of year can be very painful for those who have lost a loved one.

Even the most wonderful traditions – the annual family Christmas party, a friendly gift exchange, or the sparkling tree – can be a painful reminder of your loss. Watching other people enjoy time with loved ones can stand in stark contrast to the loneliness you feel without your friend or family member by your side. And this can be true whether or not you lost someone during the holiday season, or whether or not the loss was recent.

At Found and Sons, we hope you know you’re not alone. If you’re in need of help with grief, please reach out to us. We can connect you with aftercare resources in Culpeper and Fredericksburg, or get you signed up for our daily affirmation emails. We also want to give you some practical ideas right here on our blog on how to not only get through the holidays but perhaps even find your own joy.

Handle traditions with care.

You might find the traditions you’re used to participating in are simply too painful for you this year. That’s perfectly okay. Don’t let external pressure force you into something that is going to increase your pain. It’s okay to excuse yourself from family traditions. The people who love you will understand and support you.

Be patient with yourself.

Everyone’s grieving process looks different. Don’t compare your journey to others or even what you read about in grief resources. Allow yourself to feel the way you feel, even if it’s angry or sad. On the other hand, if you feel happiness or joy as you delight in the season, that is okay too!

Take care of yourself.

Even with a “normal” holiday, things can get stressful, with presents to buy, budgets to stretch, and parties to plan. With the added pressure and emotional strain of a recent loss, all of these stressors can be compounded. Here are some tips for holiday self-care:

Get plenty of sleep.
Don’t overindulge in sweets or alcohol.
Find the time for a little bit of exercise every day – even if it’s a walk around the block.

Give back.

One of the best ways to remind ourselves of the true reason for the season is by helping others. There are plenty of opportunities during the holidays for reaching out to those in need. Contact local charities and churches to find out how they’re serving your community, and if you feel up to it, get involved. You might be surprised how it lifts your spirits!

Above all else, remember that this time of year really isn’t about presents, food, or parties – it’s about the truest gift of all – love. Reflect on the love you gave and received to the friend or family member you lost. Nothing – not even physical separation – can take that away.

From all of us here at Found and Sons, we wish you love, joy, and peace this holiday season.

The Many Ways to Personalize a Loved One’s Farewell.

The Many Ways to Personalize a Loved One’s Farewell

For many of the families we serve in Culpeper and Fredericksburg and surrounding communities, a memento of a loved one can be incredibly comforting in the days and months following a death. With many memorial items to choose from at Found and Sons, you are sure to find something that represents your loved one.

For friends and family that had a loved one who served in the military, you may want to purchase a flag display frame. The display frame encases the folded flag given to you by the branch of service your loved one served in and gives you a unique way to honor your loved one and to preserve the flag. The experienced staff at Found and Sons will be able to craft the most honorable farewell for your veteran friend or family member.

A video tribute is a great way to enhance a service and also provides a way for future generations to relate to the life lived. Picture images, music, and dialogue can bring the story to life and serve as a remembrance for future generations.

One unique way to keep and share cremated remains is to transform them into a jewelry keepsake. For example, you can have a ring made featuring a diamond-like stone made from the cremated remains. Another treasured jewelry keepsake would be a locket that has two compartments, one for a strand of hair from your deceased loved one and the other for a photo.

Some families who choose cremation opt for a more dramatic option. For example, there is a company who will put a portion of your loved one’s cremated remains on board a commercial or scientific satellite to send the departed into space. Another company mixes cremated remains into an artificial reef to be placed in the ocean to provide a home for sea creatures.

When it comes time to plan a farewell for your loved one, the compassionate and knowledgeable staff at Found and Sons will help you create a service that honors their memory and pays tribute to their culture, values, hobbies and accompishments.

If you choose to make your own prearrangements with Found and Sons, these are decisions you can make for yourself. From top to bottom, you can craft your own service and choose the memorialization items that are right for you. Reach out to us any time to learn about preplanning as well as all of the memorial options and personalization aspects we can offer you and your family.

A Tribute to Veterans

A Tribute to Veterans

This is the month we set aside to honor American veterans – those valiant soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen of the U.S. Armed Forces – who all share a dedication to the defense of freedom. For generations, veterans have honored us with this sacrifice, and so all of us here at Found and Sons take our responsibility to honor them in death very seriously. We work hand in hand with their families in Culpeper and Fredericksburg to create a personalized tribute that celebrates the veteran’s life, passion, and special moments. There are a number of meaningful ways to pay tribute to these heroes, and we offer all of these options here at Found and Sons.

First, upon the request of a surviving family member, all honorably discharged veterans – regardless of rank or whether or not they were on active duty – qualify for military funeral honors. A U.S flag is provided for their casket or urn in honor of their military service and is given to the next-of-kin after the funeral. The military funeral ceremony itself consists of the folding and presenting of the American flag by two uniformed military officers and the customary playing of Taps by a bugler. Additionally, the family of the deceased will receive a special certificate from the President of the United States, known as the Presidential Memorial Certificate. This document further expresses recognition of the veteran’s dedication to his or her country. Many are also eligible for special funeral and burial benefits due to their honorable service.

In addition to military funeral honors, another particularly good way to highlight a veteran’s life is to create a funeral memorial program. As part of this program, you can incorporate pictures of them in uniform as well as information about his or her military experience, including years of active service, tour(s) of duty, and any medals or honors received. Many choose to create a memorial program that provides a look at their friend or family member’s life on a deeper level. If that’s your choice, know you can include a few of your loved one’s favorite stories from their time in active duty. This is a wonderful way to highlight the veteran’s special qualities and the impact he or she had on others.

The best gift family and friends can give to a deceased veteran at his or her death is a tribute which truly celebrates who they were as an individual. We can help you create a unique and meaningful service that focuses not on the veteran’s death, but on the honorable life, he or she lived.