Honouring A Journey To Dreamtime

Earlier this winter I had the honour and privilege of conducting a ‘Celebration of Life’ for a much-loved Indigenous mother, grandmother and respected Elder within Waliwan and Wiradjuri communities.  

Both Caryn from Something Beautiful Remains Funeral Services and I met with the lady’s children, and as we sat on the back deck we heard of their mother’s story. Her son eagerly wanted to ensure that his Holden was used as the hearse because he wanted to take his mum for one last ride.

The ceremony began as a motorbike escorted the son’s car to the entrance of the chapel; The Aboriginal flag swayed proudly behind the car.

The smoking ceremony began and as we were all cleansed with the smoke, the didgeridoo player began his ritual. Silence fell as we watched her coffin being taken out from her son’s car and her family waiting to walk her in for her last journey.

Her coffin, draped with the Aboriginal flag and native flora, was accompanied by her favourite flowers: roses.

I spoke of her journey, I spoke of her Totem, the Kookaburra, and her connection to the land. Her children recalled fond memories and her grandchildren spoke of their love for their grandmother.

Then, as Cold Chisel played, the curtains slowly closed and the final goodbyes were given in the chapel. We all gathered outside and her three children released three doves in her memory. As the late afternoon sun shone, bubbles were blown into the air and I read a poem.

We farewelled her for the last time, outdoors, reconnecting to the land.

For each family, the journey is unique, and how they choose to farewell is important. Each family wants to honour their loved ones in the most fitting way possible. My job as the celebrant is to listen, prepare and guide the ceremony, and work with the funeral directors for all of us to ensure that we make the process as easy as possible in saying their final goodbyes.

I am always grateful for the trust that is placed in me by the families and funeral directors to assist at such a difficult time. Their trust in what I do as a Celebrant is the backbone of my services. It is not just a job for me, but a passion that I convey with every word I write and every word I say. Not a single service has left me untouched, and I carry these stories with me every day.

99 Years Young With A Goodbye That Still Felt Too Soon… Una Vida Bien Vivida

As a Civil Celebrant, I am forever grateful for the opportunities that are presented to me through both weddings and funerals. It is especially a privilege to be able to provide my services in both English and my native language of Spanish.

In the last few weeks, I have been honoured to conduct some very moving, emotional, and powerful funerals which left me with a deep appreciation for and connection to the families involved.

One of these services was a ‘Celebration of Life’ which I conducted in Spanish for a wonderful lady who was 99 years of age. I had met her at a service earlier in the year when we farewelled her best friend. I met with the family and we spent a couple of hours reliving some beautiful stories, recalling memories, sharing laughter and tears.

I was later able to share her life and stories for her family and friends, in a venue that sat on the water. The room was an ocean of her favourite colour, pink - with all the guests adorned in different shades, and the room decorated with swathes of beautiful flowers. 

The tables sat beautifully, adorned with photos and mementos that took you on a journey of her life. Her family and friends took turns at speaking lovingly about her, and in the end we had a sing-a-long where everyone had a copy of the words given to them. We sang loudly, we sang happily, and everyone came together to celebrate and finally say our goodbyes.

Of course, none of this happens without the funeral homes and directors. They are our point of call for information before we have the important first meeting with the families. I am fortunate to have worked closely on this service with Caryn Barling from Something Beautiful Remains funeral services, where so much dedication and love went into making sure it all ran accordingly.

As I left the service, as it happens with each service, I felt a sense of pride and satisfaction knowing that I gave my best to ensure that each ceremony came from the heart, but most importantly, that those that were left behind felt a sense of closure.

World Pride March… hey is that one of my couples in the crowd?

On Sunday the 5th of March, hubby and I got up early with our two beautiful diverse children and headed into North Sydney to take part along with 50,000 members of the lgbtqia+ community and their allies to walk in a colourful, peaceful, loving and celebratory march that ended Sydney’s World Pride Celebrations.

As I looked behind in awe at the sea of people, I became overwhelmed, overwhelmed with happiness. Holding hubby’s hand and watching our kids walk, dance and take photos we realised how lucky we are to accept and understand diversity through them. They continue to teach us and we never stop learning.

As a Celebrant, I get the joy of conducting wedding ceremonies for some amazing couples. I am fortunate enough to stay in touch with a few. So it was absolutely joyous to run into one of my favourite couples and their grooms party whilst I basked in the festivities on Oxford Street. “We thought you would be here” they said. So we jumped in a photo! I love what I do…

The 2017 Yes vote here is Australia marked the path of what I already had been thinking for many years. This is the time to become a Celebrant. It mean’t my children would now be able to legally marry. It meant that marriage was no longer between a male and a female but “between two people to the exclusion of all others”, the legal wording got changed!

I get to marry all types of couples, I love them all, straight, gay, multilingual and aged diversed, as long as there is love with a story to be told, it is all that matters to me.

So let the World Pride celebrations reminds us to be accepting, non judgemental and embrace the diversity in our world, in your part of the world… in your own community… you never know what wonderful surprises you may find in the crowd!