In the days leading up to a funeral service, the focus of surviving family members usually centers on notifying extended family, making final arrangements, ordering funeral flowers, and everything else that comes with the loss of a loved one. Sometimes, this means grief must wait.

For over a century, one of Hawaii’s oldest mortuaries, Dodo Mortuary, has made it as easy as possible for survivors planning a funeral. The family-owned and -operated Hilo, HI-based business streamlines the process because they care about their clients and want to help them celebrate the life of the deceased.

The days of the funeral service can be a blur. Family and friends come to pay their respects and offer their condolences. When it’s over, you’re often left alone to process the grief. Now that all the arrangements have been completed and the visitors have left, how do you move forward? Dodo Mortuary offers some suggestions:

• Accept the Emotion: Accept that the emotions that come with grief are normal. It’s something that everyone has gone through or will go through in life, and you are never alone. Accepting that grief is a process to be worked through can help you realize it will get better with time.
• Seek Support: Close friends and cherished family members will drop whatever they’re doing for you. This is especially true after the death of a loved one. If you aren’t blessed with a large circle of supporters, look within your community. Grief support groups regularly meet at churches and community centers everywhere.
• Stay Healthy: Don’t completely abandon established exercise regimens after a loved one’s death. Do less if needed and work your way back.  
• Establish a New Routine: Establish new ways of doing things that differ from the life you had with your departed loved one. While you’ll always remember your loved one, it’s important to continue living your life.

In the days leading up to a funeral service and in the days that follow, Dodo Mortuary will provide resources to help you cope. For more information, call them at (808) 935-5751, or visit their website.