Remembrance Gatherings: 
Funerals, Memorial Services, Celebrations of Life

   As human beings, we need to pause when someone we love dies-- to acknowledge the loss, to celebrate the life, and to begin the process of grieving. This is a human thing, not a religious thing; it is something we all need, whether or not we are religious or spiritual. ​     

    I frequently hear -"We're not religious, so we aren't going to have a funeral," and "There aren't many people left who would come, so we aren't going to do anything," or "They didn't want a funeral." My view is that if the people who are left need something, they should have something. I firmly believe that it is okay to find a way to celebrate and remember someone when they have died. 

     I will meet with whoever wants to be part of the preparation for a remembrance gathering. I will ask for biographical information and history, and most especially I will listen to memories and stories. Such gatherings can be for one person or many, at a funeral home, a religious setting, outside, at a restaurant, at a gravesite, on Zoom. Whatever setting feels right to you is the right place.

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