Healing and the Holidays

The holidays are often filled with treasured memories of our loved ones. The traditions shared and the times of being all together are cherished deep within the heart and remembered across the passage of time. In the midst of the joy surrounding the holidays, as well as our memories, this time of year can also bring up feelings of loss and sadness for those mourning a loved one.

Accepting Our Feelings

The holidays are an emotional time, and each person experiences the stress and mix of feelings differently. Dealing with loss is especially challenging around the holidays, and it is normal to feel overwhelmed. Taking time to acknowledge your feelings, as well as being open with those around you, gives you space during a hectic time for healing. Being kind to yourself and those around you, as you each mourn and remember in your own way, is important year-round, but even more so around the holiday season.

Honoring Old Traditions and Making New Ones

For some, carrying on old traditions provides a sense of comfort and continuity, while for others, acknowledging that things won’t be the same opens up space for new traditions. There is no right answer other than the one that feels right for you and your family. Sometimes the best way to honor a departed loved one isn’t to carry on exactly as before, but to find meaning in a new tradition. Lighting a candle in his or her memory, visiting their resting place, or giving back to an organization they cared about are just a few ideas.

Reaching out for Support   

At White Haven, we hope the serenity and healing atmosphere of our grounds will help you this holiday season by offering a connection, as well as a peaceful place, for reflection and remembrance. We offer printed resources, as well as the opportunity to discuss more ideas for honoring your loved one. For more information, please call (585)-586-5250.  

White Haven Memorial Park is a unique green sanctuary in Rochester, New York that honors our departed loved ones. Memory and beauty flow hand-in-hand with nature in this one-of-a-kind setting. The healing power of nature’s serenity, we believe, comforts those who choose White Haven. With burial options for anyone, we are a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. For more information, please visit our site, or contact us here.  

White Haven’s Canandaigua Lakeview Cemetery

Did you know that White Haven Memorial Park operates a small, rural cemetery overlooking beautiful Canandaigua Lake? Canandaigua Lakeview Cemetery is a quiet, rural retreat with sweeping views of the lake.  It is truly a “chosen spot” that you and future generations of your family will want to visit again and again over the years to come.

Fall is a beautiful time of year in the Canandaigua area, so we invite you to take a drive down the east side of Canandaigua Lake for a visit.  Take Route 364 south from Routes 5 & 20 on the east side of town.  You’ll pass two public beaches along the way where you may also wish to stop to enjoy the lake.  Turn right on Rt. 11 and go past Pelican Point Marina and the LeTourneau Christian Camp, then turn left on Jones Road and go up the hill until you find two brick pillars that mark the entrance to the cemetery. While at the cemetery, there are plenty of benches where you can sit and enjoy the magnificent view. For a little exercise you can take a stroll along our nature trail in the shaded forest.

At Canandaigua Lakeview Cemetery, you’ll find burial sites for either a casket or an urn or for a combination of the two. There are no rows of monuments here; just planting beds filled with ornamental grasses, flowers and smaller shrubs and blooming trees.  All of the graves are marked with permanent, bronze plaques, either flush to the ground or raised on one of the naturals rocks that dot the landscape.  We have options at a variety of price points and convenient, monthly payment plans that can be tailored to fit your budget.

Whether at White Haven Memorial Park in Pittsford or at Canandaigua Lakeview Cemetery in Gorham, we are dedicated to providing unique cemetery experiences that celebrate the variety and constancy of nature, season after season and year after year.  We hope that you will come and explore both of our cemeteries soon.

If you would like to learn more about White Haven Memorial Park or Canandaigua Lakeview Cemetery, please visit our website or call 585-586-5250.