17 December 2012 – The Good Funeral Guide

There is an alternative

17 December 2012

Charles

7 Comments

Categories: Uncategorised

Parents of the children of Newtown:

Our hearts are with you. We know from experience how lost you must feel. We also know how there is a system in place where you feel you are being kept from the one thing that need above all else – to be with your child.

We want you to know that you have the right to touch and see and be with your child, and to bring him and her home to say goodbye, without further intervention. We want you to know that you have the right to ask the Medical Examiner to release your child to your arms, so that you may say goodbye on your own terms and in your own time. You had no choice in what has happened; you do have the choice to care for your child at home.

Here are some facts:

You still have some power even if you feel powerless.

This is your child and not the state’s possession.

You have right to see and touch your child right now.

You can determine what happens to their bodies.

You can voice opposition to an autopsy on religious grounds.

Embalming is not necessary and not required by law and is only a further invasion of the body of your child.

Please accept these words from those who only wish you some comfort.

We offer them in love and peace.

Statement by the National Home Funeral Alliance

Death in the community

17 December 2012

Charles

1 Comment

Categories: Attitudes to death, coffins

From KentOnline:

Grave concerns have been aired over a coffin maker’s presence at a late night shopping event [in Tenterden, Kent]. Andy Clarke of Wealden Coffins, who makes unique curved and painted eco-friendly coffins, said his business had as much right to be there as anyone else.

“It was quite interesting,” he said. “We had a lot of quite mixed responses. I think it surprised a few people and there were some people who avoided eye contact. We did get some people who said it’s not really very festive and it’s not necessarily something you would buy for Christmas, but we had a lot of very positive comments as well.

“I had a great number of people who said how lovely the coffins were and how it was nice to see them out in a place where you could see them. If people get annoyed by the subject of death that’s unfortunate but it’s something we all have to go through at some stage.” [Story]

In an email to the GFG Andy adds: “One of the main things that came across is that on the whole many people just don’t like to talk about death and the issues around it. Many of the people that we actually spoke to said how refreshing it was to see someone showing off their coffins in a public place instead of hiding them away.”

We first featured Andy back in April here.

Andy is presently holding a competition for a new design for his Curve coffins. If you fancy a doodle, check it out.

Merry Christmas, Mum.

17 December 2012

Charles

16 Comments

Categories: memorialisation

Posted by Kitty

I braved the crowds this morning to go shopping in Windsor. I bought my mum a Christmas present. All perfectly normal you might be thinking. Except that she died several years ago.

As I walked past the Dogs Trust charity stall with its banners inviting people to sponsor a dog, I was suddenly aware of tears pricking behind my eyes. And then I remembered. When we were sorting out our mum’s papers all those years ago, we discovered that she had been making a monthly donation to a charity for dogs. She had never told anyone. We cancelled it, along with all her other standing orders and direct debits.

I went back to the stall and filled out a form. The Dogs Trust volunteer gave me a car sticker – ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas.’

I’m sponsoring Patch. Merry Christmas, Mum.