“Grief, I’ve learned, is really love. It’s all the love you want to give but cannot give. The more you loved someone, the more you grieve. All of that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes and in that part of your chest that gets empty and hollow feeling. The happiness of love turns to sadness when unspent. Grief is just love with no place to go.”
All my loose ends – Jamie Anderson
FUNERAL SERVICE
Your funeral director will advise you on the choices to be made between a burial or cremation service and will also discuss with you the type of ceremony you want. As a celebrant, I am not a member of the clergy and therefore you are in control and there is complete flexibility as to what can be included in a ceremony. I do not work from a set template or script – each service is completely unique and will reflect your wishes – from the eulogy, to the readings, involvement of family and friends, music and things which have meaning to you and to your loved one. I will work with your funeral director to ensure everything runs smoothly and conduct the ceremony on the day. You will also receive a special keepsake and have the option to include your loved one and your favourite memory of them on the memory board on my website.
MEMORIAL SERVICE/CELEBRATION OF LIFE
Sometimes, a burial or cremation can happen at short notice, with limited numbers able to attend and only a brief window to say goodbye. A subsequent memorial service or celebration of life can be truly uplifting and the farewell that you would wish without the constraints of time or location. They can form an ongoing part of the healing process and allow you the freedom to honour your loved one’s life your way – perhaps combined with a tree planting or some other element that has significance. Again, I would work with you to help you create your own, personal, farewell and deliver the service on the day and you will receive a special keepsake and have the option to include your loved one and your favourite memory of them on the memory board here on my website.
SCATTERING OR INTERMENT OF ASHES
This simple, but intensely personal, event is something which you may prefer to do alone. However, should you wish I can support you with the preparation of a modest and symbolic farewell service. This could comprise elements of the original funeral, or be something more reflective of a final gesture of love. I will be guided by you and, together, we will create something which befits the occasion and the person.
DESIGNING YOUR OWN FUNERAL
This has become increasingly popular and I can help you to plan your own ceremony from start to finish. When the time comes, I will work with your chosen funeral director to carry out your wishes and conduct the service or, if this is not possible, ensure that a trusted colleague does so on my behalf. Do please let your loved ones and those closest to you know that you have done this and keep your copy of the full service in a safe place. This can be amended or updated at any time and I will also have a copy.
PET SERVICES
“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.“
John Grogan – Marley and Me
The loss of a much-loved pet can be devastating – especially when they have been a source of unconditional love and companionship. We have a bond with them and that bond has now been broken. Sometimes too, for children in the family, the death of their pet can be the first time that they experience the loss of a friend who has been a constant in their life. Having a ceremony to say goodbye to your pet can be a source of comfort in your grief and loss. This ceremony can take any form you wish, from readings and poems to music and a farewell ritual – the choice is yours. Working with you, I can help to create a bespoke ceremony for your pet. If you wish, I can also include an image and your favourite memory of your pet on the Memorial Board.
