Celebrations of life
"Life will go on as long as there is someone to sing, to dance, to tell stories and to listen." ~Oren Lyons
A Celebration of Life ceremony can be a genuinely different approach to saying goodbye to loved ones. It’s the chance to remember them in full living colour. In a way that honours their life, their passions, and all the things that made them unique.
At the heart of a Celebration of Life is your loved one’s life story. Their true story. Specific and real snapshots of their life that allow people to settle in, smile, laugh, shed a few tears.
Most of us want to speak from our hearts about the deceased, but striking the right balance between false praise and hard-boiled honesty, can be a challenge. But the ceremonies that people remember dig deep into the lives of those being honoured, rather than skimming over the surface.
Designing a Celebration of Life
A real Celebration of Life is a true reflection of the essence of your loved one. A heartfelt alternative to the "insert-name-here" scripts that have become standard fare at so many memorial services. And the process of creating the ceremony can be deeply meaningful for you and your loved ones.
How we'll work:
First, an initial phone/skype call. We'll talk about the person you are honouring, and what you really want the ceremony to give to you and your loved ones. I'll ask some clarifying questions that will help bring your ceremony into focus. Plan for 60 to 90 minutes.
Then, after a wee bit of simmering time, I will provide you with an outline for your ceremony, both words and actions, based on what we discussed in our call. That outline will contain all the things you can gather/assemble for your ceremony…sort of like a map, giving you a clear sense of direction, and allowing you to focus on what matters most. If there’s a message that you want people to take away, we’ll plan for that in a well-chosen way.
Once you are done adding those into the outline, I will spend a final hour with you, giving your ceremony a final edit and making sure that you are ready in every way for the delivery (it's not every day that you will do a ceremony like this, and it's easy to miss the details that count.)
Both the design and the delivery will give you the space to begin to let go powerfully and intentionally. You’ll be able to be fully engaged in the ceremony. To approach it with an open heart. To be connected with those who have come to honour you and your family. People will leave uplifted with a colourful and heart-warming memory of your loved one’s life. They can say: “yes, this truly was who s/he was. S/he would have loved this ceremony.”
My fee: $250.
"The words and the actions were all Mum. People commented over and over that this was the most meaningful Celebration of Life they had ever attended. And mum would have loved it…from the stories right through to the symbols, it was her to a T." Lauren and her family hosted their celebration of her mother's life in a comfortable home setting.
