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Even in half an hour, an effective funeral can and should take people through the painful truth of goodbye as well as the joy of having known someone you love. Miss out the first bit and the second bit is a danger to grieving well.
You surely can’t really celebrate someone without also grieving for them.
Brilliantly put and so succinctly.
Thomas expresses something I have felt for a while about many modern funerals. The originally Humanist term ‘celebration of life’ seems to be what a lot of people ask for these days and I think this misses a significant element of the healing opportunity. A well constructed funeral ceremony will include, and does not shy away from, the dark before the dawn.
Is being sad and showing our grief the new taboo?
Agree totally, the best funerals are seen through the lens of grief.
I think what may be happening here is a misunderstanding of the term ‘celebration’. As the meaning has changed over time. It is not something that is necessarily unrelentingly joyful. The meaning includes the idea of ‘acknowledgement’…but I’m not sure ‘Acknowledgement of Life’ is a phrase that would catch on!
Hi, A colleague of mine in Western Australia (I live on the east coast) just sent this link to me. I am a Funeral Celebrant (civil) and recently at the Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants conference, I spoke on this very topic, asking the question – has the pendulum swung too far the other way? We are almost making people feel guilty if they grieve! Acknowledging loss is equally as important as celebrating life! I believe in Australia that we have to find the balance and the sooner the better! As a Funeral Celebrant trainer, I strongly emphasise the importance… Read more »
Well said Robyn! And for a bear of very little brain, Winnie the Pooh was very clever!