The Connection Bernards-Ridge Edition Jun/July/August 2018

E V E R L A S T I N G C A R E The Cemetery of Choice for Family Heritage • Glass Front Cremation Niches • Beautiful Views •Affordable Pricing 95 Mt. Airy Road Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 908.766.0522 • SHMPCEMETERY.COM Generations of Gracious Care Irving Yalom was quoted as say- ing, “Someday soon, perhaps in forty years, there will be no one alive who has ever known me. That’s when I will be truly dead – when I exist in no one’s memory.” Sitting around after the death of a loved one with family and friends, talking about the “old” days, holi- days shared, brings about a feeling of light, lifts the grief of your loss just a little. It’s kind of a sad and empty feeling to think no one remembers. That is why we urge people to memorialize their loved ones. Whether it’s with a grave and a marker, a crypt in a mausoleum with a special emblem or a cremation niche filled with tokens of their life. A place to visit, to touch, to feel a con- nection with is so important. We have seen such an increase in people looking for their heritage, roots and ancestry in recent years, we believe this should be carried further with a place to remember. In today’s busy life, families are spread out over the county, even the world and although it’s easy to com- municate with email, text and Skype, sometimes a human touch and actu- ally being there is comforting. We have monuments in our town squares to remember war heroes, presidents and our forefathers but what about each of us? Who will, years from now remember us? The one place that brings the importance of remembering to my heart is the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, DC. I have no rela- tive’s or friend’s names on that wall but the sheer volume of names, the way each name is etched into the granite, the quiet surrounding the area, brings an inexplicable sense of pride and connection. When people tell me they don’t want to memorial- ize, I always think back to the Wall and it brings a feeling of sadness for the departed. I know the people on the wall, decades from now, will still be in some way remembered. Cost is an important factor to many today, and no, you are not being disrespectful if you are left to make the decisions by trying to keep costs under control and manageable. Planning ahead, pre-purchasing, making the decisions now, when your head is clear and your heart is not being led by emotion can save money and heartache for your fami- ly. It also allows you to choose the way your life is celebrated and remembered. Wouldn’t it be your choice not to have your family running around making arrange- ments but rather, gathering together remembering? Plant a tree with a plaque, put a name on a brick walk or purchase cemetery property, it doesn’t really matter where or how, it just matters that the person you shared a part of your life with is remembered. Visit us at Somerset Hills Memo- rial Park in Basking Ridge for a tour or just to talk about your choices and there are many. Whether you choose Somerset Hills Memorial Park or some other location it’s important to be informed, know your options and plan ahead. 95 Mt. Airy Road Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 908-766-0522 SHMPCemetery.com Remembering… PAGE 53 Spotlight on “SeniorS” www.theconnectionsnj.com