"He would have loved that"
How many times have you been to a funeral and thought: "if only the person had actually been there, to hear those wonderful stories, to enjoy those powerful readings and listen to that music full of personal meaning?" Actually, probably not enough...
A great funeral should, in my view, meet three criteria:
1. Those attending should learn more about the person, their life, their passions, their stories...
2. The attendees should feel better when they leave than when they arrive
3. The person would have loved to have been there
Humanist or non-religious funerals are a wonderful way of achieving these goals. They celebrate a life and help those left behind to process their sense of loss. You may be feeling confused, grief-stricken, perhaps even relieved, but collaborating with a celebrant can really help process all those conflicting emotions. Weaving a narrative from myriad events, experiences and relationships lies at the heart of a humanist funeral and has a real ability to bring meaning and peace to those left behind.
I became a humanist funeral celebrant because I had organised a number of family funerals and felt that putting together a meaningful ceremony really helped me process my own sense of loss. It became clear that a funeral can involve grief and shock, but also laughter and love, and that it can be full of humanity and what it means to be alive. The rigorous training that I have undertaken to be accredited by Humanists UK has ensured that I now possess the knowledge and organisational skills to conduct a variety of ceremonies, which could take place in crematoria, woodland burial sites or, in the case of direct cremations, just about anywhere you choose.
Please do get in touch if you would like to know more
A little more about me:
Having worked as a BBC journalist and, latterly, a sixth form careers adviser, I can draw on a wealth of experience of listening to people of all ages and backgrounds. My degree in French and German at Durham University fostered a love of literature and the arts and I take great pleasure in helping people choose readings and music. In my spare time I am an enthusiastic, but very amateur, cook, gardener and bridge player, as well as being a mother to three grown-up daughters.
