When her Mother died, Hilary knew that she didn’t want a conventional funeral, but she wasn’t sure what was possible.
Most people faced with arranging a funeral have never done so before and know little about it. In the confusion and rush you need to be able to make real choices about the ceremony, location and how you want to participate as a family in making the arrangements.
We believe a good funeral honours and celebrates the life of the person, helps them to pass over from this life into whatever they believe lies beyond and provides comfort and hope to the bereaved.
Hilary decided she’d like a woodland burial for her Mum. She also wanted to keep her at home undisturbed for a few days and sit with her, which we helped her to do safely, using a kit we provide and looking in each day to make sure everything was OK. Friends gathered and sat with her too. Many said how moving and beautiful the experience had been.
We let Hilary know what was possible and assisted her with the arrangements. The family participated in making the ceremony. Central to it was a silence into which everyone could speak their experiences. They chose to sing two songs Hilary’s father used to sing to her and the readings reflected her Mum’s view that she had no idea what would happen to her after death, but that there could be something else and it might be an adventure.
We are offering people more positive choices. We encourage participation of family and friends with arrangements and the ceremony to the extent they want to do this. We’ve held funerals at home, in hotels, on a boat, in gardens, in yurts and marquees and in our Riverstone barn by the River Dart.
We also assist people who want to plan their own funerals ahead using our Funeral and Farewell Wishes document.
Our message is that you can organise just about whatever type of funeral you like. A well-made bespoke funeral leaves the family with good memories at this most difficult of times and really helps the grieving process.
For further help or information call 01803 840779 or visit www.heartandsoulfunerals.co.uk
