April 2021

Page A8 APRIL 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A Cremation Urns, Jewelry & Keepsakes 941-751-3382 www. BOGATI URNS.com By Linda Findlay Aftercare did”. I think they all felt refreshed and ready to get through the remainder of a long day of sitting and listening, which can be hard to do, as we all know! Benefits of Self-Care Self-care refers to healthy habits and activities that reduce stress and maintain well-being. It’s any deliberate activity we do to take care of our mental, emotional, and physi- cal health. Because bereavement care involves looking after others, it’s imperative we also look after ourselves. Making time for yourself is crucial to your own well-being. Aims of Self-Care: • To help manage stress • To prevent physical illness • To help maintain equilibrium & honor one’s own needs Why it matters • Stress and emotional exhaustion can make us less orga - nized and productive, and emotionally depleted which can lead to insomnia and other health problems. • Caring for others can reopen old wounds. • Self-care produces positive feelings and boosts confi - dence and self-esteem. • Good self-care habits help your internal battery stay charged. In turn, this helps you remain sharp, motivat- ed and healthy. • It’s necessary to remember that your needs are impor - tant too. Self-Care Tips • Recognize that you can’t fix grief. It’s a rite of passage for everyone. • Learn the signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue. Seek support when you’re struggling. • Learn to let go, say no, and ask for help from others. Honor your own limits. • Do one nurturing activity each day. Read a book, take a bubble bath, go for a walk. • Carve out time in your day to recharge your battery by doing things you love. Linda Findlay is the founder of Mourning Discoveries, Grief Support Services. She is a 29-year career Aftercare Coordinator, a published author, and an advocate for bereaved families. She is the founder and co-creator of The Grief Cruises and managing partner with The International Grief Institute. Linda can be reached at 315-725-6132 or Lf6643@yahoo.com. Visit www.mourningdiscoveries.com , www.thegriefcruises.com or www.internationalgriefinstitute.com. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.nomispublications.com Monthly Columns online at • Eat healthy and stay hydrated to boost immunity and physical well-being. • Engage in light exercise and practice good sleep hy - giene. • Plan for short respites. Consider taking a vacation with loved ones. • Embrace joy without guilt. Listen to children laughing, smell a rose, watch a sunset. • Sing. In a choir, in the car, in the shower. It releases muscle tension and stress. • Enjoy a good laugh every day. Laughter lightens a heavy load and boosts your mood by releasing tension. Watch a comedy show or movie, or watch funny videos. • Engage in activities that involve your hands such as gardening, knitting, woodworking, painting, pottery, beading, or coloring. Repetitive motion of the hands is soothing and calms the mind. • Take up journaling to release inner thoughts and feel - ings in a private, safe place. Self-Care Tips for Funeral Directors Self-compassion involves a consistent attitude of kindness and acceptance toward ourselves as a whole. –Lisa Firestone, Ph.D. Now more than ever it is important for funeral ser- vice professionals to consider the subject of self-care. We are living in a changed world as we continue to navigate through, what I hope to be, the end of a year that no one could have ever imagined. Our hope, collectively, is that life will return to some sense of normalcy. I have to believe that a new horizon is be- fore us. Take a deep breath! We will get there soon! In the meanwhile, please consider practicing self-care. The subject of self-care is always part of any training or workshop that I provide for families and my friends in funeral service. More times than not, I am told that when the subject is brought up, the initial thought is something along the lines of, “Here we go again, do I have to sit through yet another session on self-care?”. A comment that is shared after the session is, “I didn’t think that applied to me, but, now I know it does”. This subject reminds me of a training event held for funeral service professionals that I participated in many years ago. My sister, who has been a holistic practitioner her entire adult life, was one of the guest speakers for the event. Her subject, “Self-care”. I de- cided to sit in on her session. Behind me sat a group of funeral directors. As we were all getting comfort- able in our seats, the funeral directors behind me chatted among themselves about how the session was going to be waste of their time. I think they may have been mortified if they had known that the instructor was my sister. Anyhow, we all sat through the ses- sion. By the end of the session, there they were, my special friends in funeral service, participating in the “breathing exercises” in addition to a variety of inter- active activities that were part of the “self-care session that day. All of them had decided that the session was excellent! As one funeral director said, “wow that was great, I didn’t think I was going to like this, but, I Self-care matters! It matters for you; it matters for your co- workers and it matters for the families that you serve. If we take a little more time to care for ourselves, we will be better to care for those around us. The fu- neral profession is one of the old- est caring professions in the world! Without your care and concern, where else would we go to have our loved ones taken care of! Make time to take care of yourself. By doing so, you will be able to continue to take care of others with renewed enthusiasm and energy. You have all had a really tough year. You have all stepped up to the chal- lenges that were thrown your way. You have guided families through one of the hardest times in our life time. It is my continued HONOR to walk with you and your families! Together, we are making a difference in the lives of those whom we serve! But, it all starts with taking care of you! TYRONE,GA— Rollings Funeral Service is excited to announce the recent acquisition of the Shea Family Fu- neral Homes. The group is comprised of: Hanson-Wal- bridge & Shea Funeral & Cremation Service (Arling- ton and Bennington, VT) Brewster & Shea Funeral & Cremation Service (Manchester, VT), Covey, Allen & Shea Funeral & Cremation Service (Wilmington, VT), Cremation Society of Vermont (Bennington, VT), and Rollings Funeral Service announces Acquisition of Vermont Funeral Homes Mark and Lisa Shea Shea Monument Company. All were formerly owned by husband and wife, Mark and Lisa Shea. “It’s always exciting to see our organization grow, es- pecially with the addition of the Shea Family Funer- al Homes,” says Greg Rollings, president and CEO, of Rollings Funeral Service. “Collectively, Mark and Lisa’s firms represent over 300 years of service to their commu- nity. Their family focused funeral homes are exactly what we look for when bringing new firms into our fold.” Roll- ings also noted that this is his first acquisition in Vermont and second in New England. Speaking with Mark Shea, he mentioned beginning his ca- reer in funeral service in 1980 and then in 2004 he and his wife took ownership of what were then known as Han- son-Walbridge Funeral Home, Brewster Funeral Service, and Covey & Allen, establishing the Shea Family Funeral Homes. With four decades in funeral service though, Shea began looking towards the next chapter in his life and began succession planning. Looking for a service-oriented person who could continue the Shea Family Funeral Homes long heritage, he ultimately sold his firms to Greg and Debbie Rollings. “They share the same values as us [Mark and Lisa] and they felt like longtime friends. Most importantly, they didn’t want to change our staff or how we operate,” men- tioned Shea. The fact that everything, including staff, was remaining the same is something that left Shea feeling he was making the right decision in Rollings Funeral Service. With nearly 70 locations, Rollings Funeral Service is one of the largest private funeral home owners in the eastern United States. With each of their firms operat- ed on the local level, their managers work directly with Rollings Funeral Service to establish budgets, pricing, and best practices. They also pride themselves on being a great alternative to selling to a publicly traded company and they continue to search for firms that will be a great fit to their growing family of funeral homes. Travel Plan by Inman announces New Technology FORT WAYNE,IN— The Travel Plan by Inman has developed new technology that will allow Travel Plan marketers to send a specific link (via email or text) to a prospect who can sign up for the Travel Plan in the comfort of their home and the mar- keter will get credit for the sale. “2020 brought lots of new challeng- es as well as opportunities. To better meet the new virtual world we are in, we have worked diligently to provide tools that allow funeral professionals to offer the Travel Plan by Inman eas- ily and safely,” states Dave McComb CEO of the Travel Plan by Inman and Inman Shipping Worldwide. “Our goal is to constantly review and update our technology and services to meet the needs of funeral profession- als and the families they serve.” For more information on the Travel Plan by Inman, contact Lori Davis at 888-889-8508 or lori.davis@shipinman.com. Scan QR for our website 1-888-792-9315 • mymortuarycooler.com Mortuary Coolers starting at $4,299 Beat the price increase increase coming March 2021 Beat the price increase coming June 2021