Author Barbara Kingsolver, in her book The Poisonwood Bible, wrote “To live is to be marked. To live is to change, to acquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know.” We think this reflection is at the heart of a celebration of life. While a funeral, as we’ve described it above, has more to do with the orderly and often spiritually-defined service; a celebration-of-life is more concerned with telling the story of the deceased. Celebrations of life are just that: a time people come together more to celebrate the unique personality and achievements of the deceased than to merely witness or mark the change in their social status.
Celebrations of life are similar to memorial services, which can be described as a hybrid event; combining the flexibility of a celebration of life with many of the activities of a traditional funeral order-of-service.
There’s more room for creativity in a celebration of life than a funeral. Since celebrations of life are commonly held after the individual’s physical remains have been cared for through burial or cremation; there is much more time available to plan the event. And without doubt, this allows you to make better decisions about how you’d like to celebrate the life of someone you dearly loved.
Are You Undecided? Turn to Us.
We’ve got years of experience listening, brainstorming, and advising families how they can best pay tribute to a beloved family member. That means we’re the perfect people to help you decide between a
funeral and a
celebration of life. We’ll explore your funeral service options with you in detail, taking all the time you need.
To all the families that have supported my father, Jim, throughout his 45 years as a funeral director, I hope you will continue to let me serve you moving forward.