The Importance of Viewing & Embalming

From a young age, we learn to greet people when they enter our lives and to say goodbye when they leave. This instinct carries into our experiences with loss — most people feel a deep, human need to say a final farewell when someone they love dies.

Embalming can create the time and space needed for that goodbye.

Because you only have one opportunity for this moment, there should be no need to rush. Taking time between the death and the final disposition gives family and friends the chance to adjust schedules, travel if needed, gather together, and begin to support one another.

Seeing a loved one at rest can also help the mind accept what has happened. For many people, viewing brings a sense of clarity and peace that can be difficult to reach otherwise. Without it, the reality of the loss may take longer to settle, and it’s common for the mind to hold on to the hope that a loved one might simply walk back through the door.

A viewing can be a meaningful moment of connection — a time to share memories, speak words of love, shed tears, and even smile or laugh together. It becomes a gentle first step toward healing, helping family and friends begin to imagine life in a new way, carried forward by the support of one another.



No matter what type of final disposition you choose, offering a time of visitation can be an important part of the grieving process. It gives those who cared for your loved one a chance to gather, reflect, and start the journey of saying goodbye.