Paragon Funeral and Cremation Services

11/17/2025

We live in a world that often pressures the grieving to rush through their grief. To get over it and move on. To return to "normal" even though their normal is no longer the same.

And the concept of time is so skewed as society tries to put limits on how long it's acceptable for someone to grieve. What is that? Why is it so hard for society to understand that there are those losses that will be grieved for the rest of our lives. Especially when a loved one dies.

It's a pain that is hard to describe. A void that sits so deep and takes up so much space it can be hard to breathe. It's a guttural scream that is trapped inside for days, weeks, and months. A scream that needs to come out yet is often hidden in silence so no one else can hear.

The death of a loved one hurts and while the grief can absolutely soften, the missing and whisper of sadness don't disappear. The loss of a loved one is not as simple as losing a contest, a necklace, a drivers license or a set of keys. It's so much more than an annoyance or frustration and your loved one can never be replaced. The death of a loved one is final. It's permanent and the wounds run deep. Time does't heal ALL wounds and everything changes and will feel raw. For a very long time.

Don't listen to the noise from the outside world. This is your personal experience and you get to grieve in whatever way feels right for you. You get to grieve as long as you need and give yourself permission to do what you need to do and not what others expect and need of you.

I'm truly sorry if you know the pain and heartbreak of the death of someone you cherish and love. I also hope that with time, you will be able to carve a path that leads forward instead of feeling trapped in deep grief. That your grief will soften and you can experience moments of happiness and laugh again. You and your grieving heart deserve that. Keep moving one step at a time, give yourself grace, lean on others and lean on me.

With love - michele

11/17/2025

Congratulations Saskatchewan

RIDER NATION!! FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 12 YEARS IT’S COMING HOME 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

11/16/2025

A little reminder as we head into the new week. You carried on, you are trying, and that will always be enough x

11/15/2025

You have every right to feel sorrow when you’ve lost someone you love.

Sometimes it feels like that grief is the only thing left connecting us, almost like letting go of a piece of it would erase their importance.

Honestly, it’s normal to cling to that pain; it’s proof that a bond existed that was too powerful to just fade quietly away.

Here’s the thing…I’ve learned, and maybe you’re still learning it too: holding onto sorrow doesn’t mean you have to stop living.

You’re not betraying their memory by smiling again, or by letting yourself feel moments of joy. I used to imagine that every happy moment was somehow disrespectful, or that moving on meant moving away from them. But over time, I realized that the oddly shaped ache of grief and the gentle promise of new experiences can sit together at the table.

I’ll never forget those first days when it felt like sadness was the only language I spoke. If you’re there now, or have been, you’re not alone. I still carry my loss, but I’ve learned not to carry it as a punishment. It visits me when I least expect it, a song, a season, an empty chair, and I honor it by feeling it.

Then, I remind myself: it’s okay to let light in, too. It doesn’t mean I’ve stopped loving the person who’s gone. It means I’m still here, and being here is a way to keep their legacy alive.

You deserve to keep living, even if that means letting sorrow share space with laughter. It’s not an either/or. You can hold both grief and hope, in the same heart.

Maybe next time joy sneaks up on you, let it. You’re not leaving anyone behind. You’re just showing how love and loss can walk together, day by day.

Gary Sturgis - Surviving Grief

11/13/2025

November 13th is World Kindness Day - let’s make it every day!

11/13/2025

There’s still time to get outside and look up! Who else is enjoying the beauty of the Northern Lights? Feel free to share your photos, in the comments ⬇️

11/11/2025

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

- John McCrae

11/10/2025

Grief is proof of the existence of love

Grief is not something to fix.
It’s not a phase to “get over.”

Grief is love with nowhere to go.
It’s the echo of connection that was real, deep and sacred.
It’s the evidence that you felt something that mattered.

We only grieve what we love.
And if you’re grieving, it means you dared to love....deeply.
You let someone or something become part of you.

So please, stop trying to rush it.
Stop trying to tidy it up.
Stop trying to stop it in its tracks.
Your grief is not a problem you need to solve.
It’s a story of love, still unfolding. and that is OK.

10/31/2025

Good Grief! It’s Halloween

Halloween is what I call a 'minor holiday' but it can still be tough if you’re grieving the loss of a loved one. There can be a lot of pressure to make the day special for other children or grandchildren.

Every holiday seems to take on a new feeling after the loss of a loved one. Times that were once full of joy and laughter become heavy with sadness and grief.
Occasions like family dinners, holiday parties, and even simple tasks can bring a flood of emotions.

In theory the 'Holiday Season' starts with Halloween, and Halloween is very painful for bereaved parents that are wondering what their child would dress up as, and it can also be extremely difficult for anyone grieving a loss.

Halloween decorations are usually morbid, like skeletons, coffins, and tombstones. Theses images can trigger powerful emotions if they remind you of your loved one’s death or funeral.

Here’s the thing…just like with every other holiday, memories of past Halloweens can be bittersweet.

Make a plan for how, and to what degree, you’ll celebrate this year. If you choose to celebrate at all. Most of the time, anxiety comes when you don’t have a plan in place.
To avoid any bad feelings…decide ahead of time what feels right for you.

If it’s all too much to deal with…just turn off the lights. It’s the universal symbol of “go to the next house, there's no candy here”. But for you it may also mean, "Sorry, I’m just not in the mood.”

There’s no reason to participate in Halloween…especially if it brings you pain.

Gary Sturgis