A funeral or memorial provides the opportunity for a group to gather and remember someone who has died and the impact they had. Invariably there is sadness, but also celebration of that life, so contemporary funerals often involve music, stories and laughter along the way. The hallmark of success is if the funeral captures the essence of the deceased. This is my goal when I meet with the family and close friends to plan the ceremony.
I always feel deeply privileged to work with families who are farewelling their loved one. A trend towards ‘direct cremation and no funeral’ has emerged in recent years, sometimes in the mistaken belief that this will be cheaper and easier for the family. The value of gathering to support each other, share memories and begin acknowledging grief cannot be overstated.
Some people like to pre-plan their ceremony and meet with me to talk about their lives while they are still living. This allows me to get to know them and what matters to them. Somehow it can be easier to have a conversation about death with someone a little more distant. Or it can just be a starting point – that’s your choice.
“Funerals - and the days leading up to them - can be difficult and stressful times. However Kathrine helped to make the funeral for our much-loved father exactly the occasion we wanted it to be. She took time to listen to what we wanted, understood how we were feeling, and had many helpful suggestions to make. Her manner at the funeral itself was so warm and welcoming that it helped us all enormously. We will always be grateful to her for the memories she gave us.” – Pippa W
