Are you wondering what you can do to help a friend or family member who has lost someone? Following the deceased’s funeral services, your loved one may go through emotional challenges as she works through her grief. The following are a few ways that you can offer grief support to a bereaved loved one:

Stay in Touch
It’s common for people to shy away when someone they know is grieving because they are fearful of intruding at a sensitive time or saying something that will upset the individual. To provide grief support for your loved one, it’s important not to let worries like these prevent you from reaching out and offering to listen, talk, or help.

Listen with Compassion
Fear of saying the wrong thing is one reason why people do not reach out to a grieving friend or loved one when they should. However, being able to listen is often more important than knowing what to say. You can support a bereaved individual by being ready to listen compassionately while not forcing her to open up. Let your loved one know that if she wants to talk, then you will be there to listen. Accept and acknowledge her feelings, be willing to listen in silence, and know that everyone works through grief in his or her own way.

Offer Practical Help
Giving your loved one a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear can be incredibly helpful for her, but offering your assistance in practical ways can in invaluable. Instead of telling your friend to let you know if she needs anything, make suggestions and offer to help in specific and practical ways. Babysitting, preparing meals, helping with household chores, or running errands are some examples of ways in which you might support your friend during this time.

Valley of the Temples Memorial Park offers a wide selection of funeral services as well as grief counseling in Oahu, HI. Please call (808) 239-8811 to learn more.

Have you been invited to attend the funeral services of someone who has passed on? If so, then you may find yourself wondering how to show your sympathy to the bereaved family. Watch this video for some tips on expressing your condolences with flowers and gifts.

To help ensure that your gesture is appropriate and will be appreciated, start by considering your relationship to the deceased or the surviving family. For example, it’s customary for coworkers and friends to send standing sprays or standing basket flower arrangements to the funeral home for display. Sending plants, flowers, or a gourmet food basket to the grieving family’s home is also an excellent way to express your condolences.

At our funeral home near Oahu, HI, Valley of the Temples Memorial Park offers a broad selection of funeral services, cemetery options, and cremation ceremonies. For more information, please call (808) 239-8811.

Valley of the Temples Memorial Park offers one of the most unique locations in the world for funeral services, burial, and cremation. We are situated on the Windward side of Oahu and boast stunning ocean and mountain views that bring peace to the families who choose us. In addition to our striking location, families throughout Oahu have been choosing our funeral home for more than 50 years because of our commitment to compassionate and attentive service.

We know that no two families have the same needs, and we offer an extensive range of memorial services to accommodate these varied preferences, including burial options, cemetery cremation, and multi-faith funeral services. Our Byodo-In Temple welcomes all faiths and is one of the distinctive features that draws families to our funeral home. We support each family who comes to us throughout the funeral process and offer access to grief counseling services as needed.

Find out for yourself what makes Valley of the Temples Memorial Park unique by visiting our funeral home in Oahu, HI, or calling us to learn more about our services. You can reach us at (808) 239-8811.

After cremation, families must determine their preferred choice for memorialization. Many people are surprised at the number of options their funeral home can provide for memorialization after cremation, so it can be helpful to talk to your loved ones in advance about your preferences and your choices as a family. Here are some of the options that you can consider.

Columbarium Niche
A columbarium is a wall that contains niches that can be used to hold cremation urns. The walls can be inside or outside, and they can be long enough to span an entire wall of a building or small enough to be a memorial for one family. The niches have fronts that protect the urns that can be made out of materials such as glass, marble, or mosaic, and they can be constructed to hold a single urn or multiple urns together. Within the niches, there may also be room to display sentimental items or tributes.

Family Plots
If you have a family plot, you can opt to have cremation remains interned in the plot. In some cases, you may be permitted to use a single plot for the internment of more than one person. Above-ground storage for cremation urns is also possible within a family plot in many cases. This allows for family members who have chosen burial and those who prefer cremation to remain in one location.

Cremation Urns
When most people think about cremation, they envision the use of urns that do not remain in a cemetery. Urns come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and materials for those who wish to bring the cremation remains home. The remains can also be separated into multiple urns if more than one family member wishes to keep them.

Let Valley of the Temples Memorial Park walk you through all of your options for cremation in Oahu, HI. For assistance with funeral pre-planning or in your time of need, call us at (808) 239-8811.

Your final resting place should be a reflection of your life. Valley of the Temples in Hawaii is an elite final resting place for those who want to spend eternity surrounded by beauty. Nestled in the mountains on the windward side of Oahu, Valley of the Temples is at the same time beautiful and elegant, offering the best in afterlife care.

Our goal is to create the perfect funeral service that meets your family’s unique needs. We customize each service with respect to your religious and family traditions. Veteran’s Honors can be performed, as well as traditional funeral services. Our Signature Services include options such as a butterfly release ceremony or planting a Koa tree in Hilo as a legacy. Whatever your preference, Valley of the Temples can design a ceremony befitting your wishes.

At Valley of the Temples, you have a wide range of options including traditional burials or above ground entombment in a mausoleum. Mausoleums have a long and rich history, and provide a forever home. Valley of the Temples also offers resting places for your family, so you can take comfort knowing you will be together forever. Private Family Estates are your own private cemetery within the memorial park, and Private Family Mausoleums can be custom designed to suit your family. After the funeral is over, you will be cared for with the compassion and exceptional level of service you deserve. Our groundskeepers maintain the memorial park in pristine condition year-round, and ensure your final resting place is forever gorgeous.

Within the park is the Byodo-In Temple, a replica of the 950-year-old Japanese temple of the same name. This Hawaiian version was built nearly 50 years ago, and stands as a commemoration of the first Japanese settlers to arrive on the islands. Within the Byodo-In Temple you will find the Amida Buddha, Bon-sho (sacred bell), meditation pavilion surrounded by wildlife and beautiful scenery. If you are considering entombment, Byodo-In Temple currently has spaces available. You may contact Valley of the Temple for more information on entombment within the Byodo-In Temple.

Valley of the Temple can accommodate your unique plans and special requests. We offer compassionate funeral arrangers with years of experience who are available for pre-need or at-need appointments. Contact one of our planning experts to create the ideal experience that will serve you and your family after your passing. Spend your afterlife in the allure and splendor of Valley of the Temples.