What It Means to Celebrate A Life Well Lived
What it Means to Celebrate a Life Well-Lived
When a loved one passes on, it is important to take the time needed to reflect on this loss and grieve. It is also important to remember that although they are gone from this life, their spirit lives on: through our memories, by the stories they've told, and through each person whose life they have positively influenced with their presence, friendship, and wisdom. A funeral helps to reflect on these impacts, both the good times and the bad, think about how our lives have been formed by lived experiences with this person, and to help us feel surrounded by their presence at least one more time before saying goodbye. Furthermore, a funeral may allow friends and family an avenue to appreciate the persistence of personality, strength of character, endurance of spirit and the importance of faith and hope.
In today's day and age, life is fast-paced, career-centered and all too often involves less consideration for oneself, one's mental wellness and the devotion of enough time (if that is even possible) to our families and friends. Although I'm merely 23 years old (so, my concept of "years ago" is still fairly reliant on what I have been told by others), I hypothesize that this “faster pace of life” has directly correlated to less reflection in the immediate hours, days and weeks following the loss of a loved one. It is important for everyone to allocate himself or herself time to grieve, process and reflect because the process of grieving is different for everyone.
We all experience tragedy and loss at some point in our lives and for our own well being it should be acknowledged rather than evaded. It is beneficial that this reflection takes place in an environment that is amicable with reflection, such as at a funeral home. Based on individual preference and in respect to the expressed wishes of the deceased, a funeral home can provide customized services that fit your wishes, such as: a simple (but positive and memorable) private graveside burial with a group of close peers and/or family; or the funeral home can coordinate a public funeral service, where all that wish to pay their respects are welcomed to do so; or the funeral home could arrange for a simple cremation, in which the remains are sealed into an urn and buried; or the cremated remains could be placed into a scattering urn, taken to a place of significance and spread (where lawful to do so). There are certainly many more possible customizations and options than the few listed here. The point that I have been trying to make in authoring this piece is that the key to a successful, positive funeral experience lies within our own willingness to slow down our lives, to acknowledge and reflect on our loss, to celebrate a life well lived in an environment that is comfortable, while remaining steadfast that the services provided by funeral homes are a valuable avenue to do so.
When I was younger, my father astutely told me that funeral services are for the loved ones of the deceased and that it is important to celebrate a life well lived. This is something that has continually resonated with me and it is what I believe sowed the seed of my interest in the bereavement industry. Much of this reflection has encompassed my lived experiences with the recent loss of my special grandfather. I can truly attest to the advantages, after suffering a tragic loss, of decelerating the pace of my life to reflect, grieve and be mindful of the many friends and family that care enough to be there for you.
- by Robert Verhoeve
Phone: 519-842-4238
262 Broadway Street
Tillsonburg, ON N4G 3R7
Fax: 519-842-6580
Phone: 519-842-4238
40 Queen Street PO Box 100
Langton,ON N0E 1G0
Fax: 519-842-6580