What is a good funeral?

 

There are as many ways to say goodbye as there are people in the world, and every funeral ceremony is as unique as the person who has died. But every good funeral has one thing in common:

‘…you must take from it the hope, love and courage that other people give you in what they thought about your loved one’ 

Michael Rosen

 

This is how it usually works:

 

1. You get in touch – by phone or email, either is fine.

2. We meet up (it might be just you, but anybody else you’d like to be there is, of course, welcome). And you tell me about your person: who they were, what they were like, the story of their life. You share any ideas you might have about the ceremony, any music, poems, thoughts. Anyone who’d like to speak.

3. I write a first draft based on what you’ve told me, and send it to you.

4. You get back to me with any changes. corrections, amendments, suggestions…until you’re completely happy with it.

5. On the day of the ceremony I’ll meet with the funeral director, welcome everybody and conduct the ceremony.

6. After the ceremony I’ll give you a presentation copy of the script that we’ve created together.

 

 

‘Like a bird singing in the rain, let grateful memories survive in time of sorrow.’ 

Robert Louis Stevenson