Saying goodbye to your husband is hard to put into words. He was your partner, the one who knew the everyday ordinary version of you that nobody else got to see. And now you’re being asked to stand up and somehow sum all of that up at his funeral. This is where a poem can … Read more
Writing a short obituary can feel strange. You get a short space in a newspaper column or tiny box in a funeral program and have to fit a persons whole life inside it. It can almost feel a bit disrespectful. But a short obituary isn’t a smaller version of a life. It’s a clear public … Read more
When someone tells you they have a terminal diagnosis it’s understandable to not know how to respond. It could be the person themselves, sitting across from you. Maybe it’s a friend letting you know about their husband or their mom. Whoever it is you want to say something good. You also really don’t want to … Read more
A celebration of life is a different kind of way to say of goodbye. You still feel the pain, and you’re very much hurting, but the whole point is to lift your head a little and remember the good. You look back on all the laughter you had. The stories you’ll be telling for years. … Read more
When you’re waiting for surgery, be it a routine procedure or something more serious, it’s understandable to feel nervous in the days beforehand. And if it’s someone you care about going under the knife you probably want to say something. The trouble is knowing what. You don’t want to be too gushing but on the … Read more
It’s hard to know what to say to someone after a serious injury or a new disability. You want to be there for them and say something that helps. But the usual things we say in these sorts of circumstances often feel wrong. “Get well soon” isn’t right when the situation might be permanent and … Read more
When someone you love passes you’ll probably have started to receive flowers very quickly. And they’re lovely. It’s such a kind and thoughtful gesture. But a lot of families these days would rather see that money go somewhere meaningful. A charity the person cared about. Maybe the hospice that looked after them. Or even a … Read more
When a friend tells you their mom or their husband has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia how do you react? It’s one of the worse diagnoses anyone can receive so knowing what to say in that moment is so difficult. You want to say the right thing and you’re terrified … Read more
When someone you love has passed away a prayer card is a small keepsake that family friends will want to hold onto for years. They’re usually handed out at the funeral, wake or memorial service and people will keep them in their bedside drawer or Bible so they can come back and look at them … Read more
When you’re arranging a funeral you’re already dealing with a lot. There’s so many things to do. And so it’s ways to forget you have to put together the funeral program. It feels small next to everything else, but that booklet is the keepsake people fold up and tuck in their drawer for years. So … Read more