Our commitment to you does not end at the funeral. Whether you feel comfortable speaking in a group or individually, we're always here to listen. If you wish to learn more about our bereavement services please contact Sister Pat Fesler at the funeral home at 330-792-2353.
Grief & Healing
We're Always Here
Our commitment to you does not end at the funeral. Whether you feel comfortable speaking in a group or individually, we're always here to listen. If you wish to learn more about our bereavement services please contact Sister Pat Fesler at the funeral home at
330-792-2353.
Stepping Stones Newsletter
These messages of hope, healing and affirmation are delivered to your email inbox every day. Subscribe easily, and unsubscribe when you're ready. Such small doses of comfort will help you move through the cycle of grief, and work wonders for your outlook.
Because we care about the well being of every family we serve, you will receive continuing care and support through our Stepping Stones program after the funeral. You can sign up and receive monthly grief and recovery newsletters to appear in your email inbox, full of great information, stories, poems, and inspirational quotes that will help you through this difficult time.
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We're Always Here
A Message from Sr. Pat Fessler, HM, Grief Support Specialist:
"In these times of pain, sickness, fear and so much unsettledness, we need to more than ever reach out to God. Maybe now more than ever find a prayer style that works for you and put it into place. Find a prayer partner that you can share with and pray with via the phone, text or email. Every single one of us now have hearts that are breaking and crying and searching. Please don’t do it alone. Somehow through all of this we are going to become stronger and more faithful. Yesterday Dr. Amy Acton said “life is waking us up.” Yes, I think life is waking us up and helping us to look at what and who is really important. This is a time for families to really be there for each other. We have been a society that is so busy with work, sports etc that we don’t even have meals together, we don’t sit down and have a normal conversation. We are too busy running from here to there. It’s now time to stop and reevaluate what family, life and faith mean to us.
I have more people than you can imagine telling me how this has heightened their grief. Not only their grief for the death of a loved one but for so much more in life. There are people all over the world who are dying and trying to bury their loved ones, people who have lost their jobs permanently, people who don’t know where the next meal is going to come from. I could go on and on. Now more than ever we need to reach out to people in love. Many of us are working from home, learning new ways to communicate to people, to teach our students and how do we keep our children busy when they are used to being on the go. Put your technology down for a while and listen to those people that are in your home. What new things are you learning from them? Those that are grieving the death of a loved one are so lost and fearful that someone else they love is going to get sick or die. I am hearing my teens who have had a parent die say I am afraid my mom or dad is going to die and what is going to happen to me? What is going to happen to any of us and how are we going to journey through these uncharted waters, some people alone and some with others at their side. This is our time to find new ways to connect and reach out in love.
Please, I beg you, don’t forget about your neighbor who is alone, old, your parents who live alone and are elderly, those people in nursing facilities that feel so isolated because they can’t see their family. What Can you do? Send thinking of your cards, notes, phone calls, and pick up dinner for someone. When you go to the grocery store, call them and make sure they have everything they need. Sometimes that flower gift is all that is needed to bring a smile.
We have so many health care workers, first responders, people that work in a grocery store, those essential places that are needed to keep each of us going. When you are at the grocery store do you say thank you? Yesterday I thanked two checkout clerks and they looked at me strangely and said no one has said thank you. One clerk told me she has people coming in yelling at her because her hot counter is not open. Above all, kindness and compassion is what we need as a world right now. Yes I say world because it is not only us in the United States going through this coronavirus it is EVERYONE. So what would Jesus say to us? What would Jesus do? What are we going to do?
Above all, please everyone pray. I am available if I can be of help to anyone. I am working from home and hold all of you in prayer and in my heart. Please be safe and Gentle with You, your loved ones and all those you come into contact with."
Sister Pat Fesler, HM Grief Support Specialist Higgins-Reardon Funeral Homes
Stepping Stones to a Better Tomorrow For Kids
Children's grief group meets once a month at Zion Lutheran Church in Cornersburg. For further information, contact Sr. Pat Fesler, Bereavement Coordinator.
For further information, please contact:
Sister Pat Fesler, H.M. Grief Support Specialist
Higgins-Reardon Funeral Home
