Kate Hamilton with Mourning Cross talks about the pins her company provides to help identify those family members who are grieving a loss. They can be worn as long as a mourner feels the need to identify as someone who has suffered a death in the family. It’s a new take on the genteel tradition of black arm bands and other signs of being in mourning.
The pins are also helpful for hospice workers who become close to the families and patients they work with.
Hamilton came from Ireland to exhibit at the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) convention and expo. Her website is www.MourningCross.com.
Among the reasons mourning pins are helpful for those attending funeral services:
- They identify the appropriate family members with whom to sympathize.
- People feel the value of their attending the wake and funeral and being able to express their condolences to the mourning family members.
- The dread, embarrassment and uncomfortable feelings of attending a wake and funeral are removed for everyone
- Work colleagues of the deceased who may not have previously met the family find it easier to introduce themselves and share wonderful stories about the deceased.
- People no longer need to ask the funeral director to point out family members when attending a wake.
The elegant pins, which also serve as treasured keepsakes, are offered in either black or white enamel in the shape of a cross or, as a non-denominational option, a circle. Both have a center image of a dove in flight and are presented on a card with the expressive poem, “It’s My Time,” by poet Jacky Newcomb.