Coronavirus has left practically no area of our lives untouched. Pubs, bars, gyms and theatres have closed their doors. On Friday, schools sent their pupils home indefinitely. And all kinds of events have been cancelled. As distressing as it is to the people involved, a wedding or a baby naming can be postponed to a later date. But a funeral?
As many crematoriums close their doors to the public, or drastically limit numbers, many families are being left in limbo, unable to say a fitting and proper goodbye to their loved one.
The healing effect of bringing family and friends together to share memories cannot be underestimated. A funeral helps us to honour the person who has died, search for meaning, express our loss, activate support for the family, and process our new reality. Removing that experience can make a challenging time even more difficult for a family.
Of course, social distancing is in place for a very good reason – to keep us, and our communities, safe – and will more than likely remain in place for some time. So we’ll need to find creative ways to say goodbye in a meaningful way.
With this in mind, I have launched a new service – remote funerals. This means gathering family and friends together online to celebrate the life of their loved one. So even if someone is in self-isolation, they can share this important experience with everyone else from the comfort of their living room. This service offers many of the elements of a traditional funeral – music, photos, tributes and a fitting eulogy which captures the essence of the person you have lost.
All of the arrangements can be made over the phone or online and I’ll work with you to make sure the service does your loved one justice.
If you are interested in learning more or booking a service, please don’t hesitate to contact me on 07990 592021 or email julie@auroraceremonies.co.uk.
