2018 Take the Time to Talk Awareness Week

2018 Take the Time to Talk Awareness Week

The April 9-13 Take the Time to Talk Awareness Week is when the New Zealand funeral industry aims to re-focus people’s attention on the act of saying goodbye to loved ones.

Funeral homes up and down the country that are members of the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand (FDANZ) will be taking part in the campaign by distributing leaflets and putting up posters in their communities to encourage people to think about the value they put on saying goodbye.

FDANZ President Gary Taylor says “the campaign is about encouraging families to realise the value they put on hello, and to think about putting the same focus on goodbye – to allow our families the best opportunity to grieve well.

“Saying ‘goodbye’ is as important as saying ‘hello’.

“Across all our relationships we focus on ‘hello’. We greet our grandchildren with arms wide open, we give our Mum a hug when we see her, and we smile and wave to our friends. We’re saying that ‘goodbye’ is just as important, and April 9-13 is about re-focusing attention on the act of goodbye as the start of healthy grieving.

"Our vision is a New Zealand where meaningful funerals are valued as an essential part of healthy grieving,” says Gary Taylor.

"This year our campaign is highlighting to families that a meaningful funeral experience is the best way we can help those left behind to deal with grief and loss.

"Grief, which is our inbuilt biological reaction to the death of someone we love and care for, cannot be opted into or out of – it will confront us, whether we like it or not. Social science tells us that the only way to effectively cope with grief and start to heal is through the process of a meaningful farewell. A goodbye.

“An FDANZ member funeral home can support your family to say goodbye. A funeral doesn't have to be a fuss, it doesn't have to be big, it just needs to be a meaningful experience for those who matter.”

Gary Taylor says the 123 funeral firms who have chosen to belong to FDANZ know the value of a meaningful funeral.

“That's why they accept adherence to the strict FDANZ Code of Ethics, Code of Professional Conduct, and a requirement to have qualified staff to ensure they deliver not just a funeral, but a meaningful one.

“Not all funeral homes in New Zealand have the same focus.”

A meaningful funeral is an opportunity for grandchildren, children, friends and other family to say goodbye with as much enthusiasm as you gave them in saying hello. Take the Time to Talk.

ENDS

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