Funeral and Memorial Celebrations

What is it about Funerals and Memorial Services that make most of us uncomfortable?  Is it that we just don’t know what to say to the family who is grieving?  Is it that we feel uncomfortable if we start to cry in the presence of friends and family who are already sad?

I believe that our fear comes from thinking we should have all the answers, and that we should know exactly what to say to a grieving friend or family member.  How is it that we would know how to react in situations like this, when we live in a society that doesn’t talk freely about death and all the emotions that come with it?  Death usually  leaves us with more questions than answers, and in its wake of grieving and picking up the pieces, we are left with a myriad of emotions we’re not sure what to do with.

When I first became a Minister, I couldn’t even imagine officiating a funeral or memorial service.  I am such a sensitive and emotional person, that I couldn’t visualize myself standing at the podium in a funeral home or chapel delivering a eulogy in front of a sea of tears.  But as I have come to terms with my own mortality and realized that through each death I am learning to live my life more passionately and authentically, it has actually given me a sense of peace and understanding that I never even knew existed.

It is so humbling and such an honour for me to be chosen to ‘represent’  the deceased during a Funeral or Memorial service.  Upon being informed of the passing of a loved one, I immediately make arrangements to meet with as many family members and friends as I can at one time, so I can gather each person’s ideas and memories.  This helps me to create a unique and personal “Celebration of Life”.  I do my best to give them the celebration they deserve.  Nothing humbles me more than being fully present to portray the meaning and purpose of a loved one’s life; a story that honours them and celebrates their time here on earth.