lol this is honoponopono

Minister of 32 years. Many funeral s latter .I'm sure !!! of the value for the closest in the circle ! ❤

Yes. In our increasingly casual world, I often feel it doesn't cut it. Things that should feel monumental and important just feel like any other dinner gathering. I'm not catholic, but when my grandma passed she had a full Catholic funeral. Her priest blessed her body after she passed in the hospital, attended the viewing, led the funeral, and was there again for the internment. And the funeral was about an hour and went through all their rituals and passages. I truly had a new appreciation for the place of religion. Although I don't agree with all facets of catholicism or many organized religions, I also feel we are losing something important by not being a part of them.

I remember a professor I had in high school, who I was close to, sharing with me and another classmate his experience of his mother's death. He was Polish American, his parents had emigrated from Poland, so they were Catholic. He expressed how grateful he was for the rituals surrounding her passing, especially the funeral and the wake. He shared that during the wake everyone had permission to really cry and wail, to "keen" as the Irish would put it, and he was profoundly grateful for that catharsis. He was able to fully express all the grief and loss and be able to move forward afterward. One of the issues we are facing in the modern world is the turning away from the traditional rituals of all cultures, which have always served as containers for transitions in life and death. I agree with Jung that keeping close to the traditions we come from rather than eschewing them in favour of traditions from cultures we know little about is wiser. Julie Taymor tells a powerful story about her theatre training in Indonesia during which she apprenticed with a company under a guru, as is the custom in Asian theatre. She had been living in Indonesia for several years apprenticing with this company, whose work largely involved sacred shadow plays, and she was not doing well psychologically. Her guru told her to go home to the U.S. because she was in danger of losing her energetic roots and that if she stayed longer in Indonesia, she would become energetically untethered and would be in danger of losing her mind. (She took his advice, returned to the U.S. and used what she had learned from Indonesian theatre to create The Lion King.) I have seen this happen to other people who explored other cultures deeply for personal reasons, one of whom was a colleague who had a psychotic break and committed suicide. For me there is a connection between these stories that involves returning to traditional ritual, especially the rituals of our origin, perhaps enlivening them with influences from other traditions that we feel an affinity for, and re-incorporating them into our lives with renewed awareness and meaning.

The funerals I create are a celebration of the life of the deceased and include the committal ie the saying the final goodbye. I agree too, this "moment" needs a structure to create the opportunity for this all to take place. In Britain, we often hold a gathering "after" the funeral and those are also healthy, healing moments involving food and drink and a chance to talk about the deceased .

Beautiful ❤

We are not relief that the person have died, we are relieved that the struggle is over

you are truly a blessing & a guiding light, thank you Dr. Sarah 🧡

thank you from the bottom of my heart. this is such a scary and shameful emotion that I never thought I'd hear another human acknowledge, and you explain so clearly and empathetically why this is normal

Simple and beautiful ❤️

We held our mother‘s funeral one week after her death, and it was exhausting. We had been spending weeks with her at the hospital and regretted having held it so early. It was so rushed that we didn’t feel we had the time to grieve properly. We were a little impatient with each other at times because of the stress. So when our brother - and then later our father - died, we waited several weeks until we felt ready and healthy - mentally and emotionally. For us it made a huge difference. We were able to be present and to celebrate their lives with calm and love.

So liberating to hear this spoken out loud. It has the capacity to lift weight off of many sweet souls.

I so love the energy you put out into the world. Your dealth walker spirit who works with you (I'm a medium so I can see them.) are always with you. You are a beautiful old soul. Thank you for your work. And on a less serious note I love the picture behind you. Very cool. 🎉

You are Blessings for many and for me is also a counseling lesson too that I can use to help others when I am involved in a similar situation as I had this past summer. Thank you so much !

Thanks!

Thank you ❤

Life is steady stress punctuated by crisis, and we all make major mistakes. The only lasting answer is to comprehend the reality of God and his Christ. That is the truth that makes us free.

It's not 100% official yet, but we're planning on putting down our old and beautiful dog. She's been with us for mroe than 10 years. We're planning to, maybe, put her down this September school vacation be cause of a large tumor. It's grown so large, it's the same size as her little body. She can't jump like she used to, she doesn't always run to the front gate when someone passes by and she urinates right outside our porch instead of the backyard, where she knows she's suppose to. She even struggles to lie down and clean herself, it's getting so depressing to watch. It doesn't seem like she herself is going through physical pain but it's obvious she grows quickly tired. I love her so much, I love her with all my heart. I'll miss her and I don't know if life will ever be the same after this vacation. I really wish there was a better option. Sorry about the long comment, I think I just wanted to share it. Thanks for reading, anyways.💛

Actually, I don’t agree. I do not want a funeral, not for the reason you state. I want a wake. My family already know that I want to be cremated and my ashes put beside my two sons. I do not want a service or a funeral. I have left instructions for my family to invite certain people, not everyone who knows me but those that have had contact with me in the last month that I was alive, to a wake at our house. I have people in my family who play music, guitars, etc. so lots of singing, eating, joking and to play a video that I have made. It has to be completely informal, a time to remember good times and it must be fun. Ok, a couple of tears is ok, but not dwelling on my passing. I lead a huge eventful life, remember that.

I stayed in my moms room (nursing home) when she passed away I was the youngest of her children but the hurt now is worse than ever and mow hearing of my sons best friend dying today 9-9-2024 just 😢😢😢😢makes me hate this world even more . My family had suffered so much .

Great information but the birds? Is there a meaning behind their presence or is it up for individual interpretation? In my case, I think death is near & I need to get ready.

It's been a part of the threads within the fabric of my existence from birth. ❤

This has been very informative, a lovely video, Thank you. I have decided I want to go into this field, and am excited by the prospects of trailblazing, and to that of offering connection to the dying process. Seeing as this video is now 7 years old, I know a lot has changed, grown , and has taken shape since then. In Toronto, currently, there are two courses I am looking into. One is $700 for a weekend of training, and the other is $1800 for a 5 month period of study... Such a difference. So I guess it comes down to preference, with the room to bridge in skills after I've entered the field?

A question if I may: what do you base this on? Spiritual beliefs? Paranormal research? I'm wondering what philosophy and/or ideology that the belief in "paper airplanes", or messages from loved ones who have passed over, comes from in your approach. Thank you.

The sign from my father that he is with me (he passed in 2019) is the number 508. His birthday was May 8th. It’s amazing to me how many synchronicities I experienced with that number now! Turning on my phone and the time is 5:08.. Waking up early and looking at the clock, and it's 5:08! This number has come to me in so many different ways, a sign of my father's love and support. ❤

Thank you for giving us hope. When one door closes, look for an open window.

Indeed. A very close friend passed away on Monday, far away from me. At the same time (I didn't know) I found a ring in the floor of the bus I'd taken minutes ago. The last things he shared in his social networks were songs of an artist we loved, and the ring had a symbol of peace on it. One of the songs about I thought at that moment was one of that artist. Days later, when a friend told me about his death, I realize who send me the ring. He was in peace, and wanted the same to me. And now, your video. Thanks.

Helpful video, thank you!

I like this. Certain places and items definitely connect me with my father who died about 20 years ago. For example, older technology that supports creativity, Such as reel to reel tapes, good quality electric pianos, and multi track recorders, feel like a sign from him.

🙏🏻😘🧡🌷

Oh how lovely! Yes here I am, fully waking up to the essense i've been all along - I was the kid that had preminations and due to my insistence my Nana who had passed wanted her rosary beads, her funeral had an open casket and I placed them in her hands, un flinching, I have had multiple visits from family members advising me of others that will soon pass, or reassuring me when a diagnosis will NOT be fatal - just this week I have reached out to the Doula association in New Zealand ( a country that has very few, due to it not being socially common, but it's a growing field) and i'm about to embark on my training, aswell as a councilling diploma to strengthen my support and care with the people who are nearing the end of their life and their family. thank you for your words - Really resonated with me

I wish my mom had asked me what I wanted. She took that decision away from me, and I never got to say good-by to my dad.

I am 52, I never got to see my dad's body when he died. I think it is super important to see our loved ones after they die, so that we can move on to acceptance. I would have loved to have the choice. I resented the choices made for me, and they have had a huge impact on my complicated grief.

I was taken to my maternal grandmother's funeral when I was 7 and my great grandmother's funeral (her mother) when I was 9. That latter funeral involved going back to the area in the Appalachias where my mother's family were originally from and meeting the entire extended family, which was a significant experience for me. I was also taken to the funeral of the father of one of my school friends when I was around 8. He died at age 40 from a sudden heart attack. My mother was close friends with my friend's mother. The funeral for my friend's father was in November around Thanksgiving and I still remember the bareness of the trees and the greyness of the sky on that day, which seemed appropriate to the sadness of a husband and father passing at so young an age. I'm extremely grateful that I was included in these end of life events. I learned so much about the arc of life and accepting the nature of death. They were also coming of age experiences that remain a part of me and have contributed to my sense of self. I did not attend the funerals for my father's parents - I was 5 and 6 when they died - nor did we visit them in their nursing home. There is a void around those relationships and lack of grounding because I missed having those connections. In my opinion, death and funerals are a beautiful opportunity for children to be included in key family events and learn about the nature of life and death. Excluding them from these experiences creates disconnection that may have more impact on their inner integrity and ability to deal with life's challenges than the adults may realise.

Absolutely. ❤️🙏🏽

I did say to my Mum decade's later how upset I was that the Sunday they had the family Dr come to Assist my Grandfather in passing on peacefully from pain in 1977 NZ...I was told to wait outside. I was 13yrs and had lived with my Grandparents from the age of 11yrs old looking after them. I required closure and the ability to say good bye to the man I bed bathed. Dressed. Fed. Spent time with. I understand the Why with Dr yet to even let me be there after the injection.. it is still painful now as I write this at the age of 61.

I still wish I was allowed to go to my nieces funeral 38 years ago when I was 11. I thought I'd done something wrong being left out plus she is in an unmarked grave so I will never be able to visit her.

I totally agree.

Sounds like an amazing experience, Sarah! Love that you are facilitating this for people!

Meet them where they're at is such a good guideline. Paired with: as you are. I feel like the top priority would be connection

So true.

I’m just learning this today in therapy for PTSD. Grief is a term that was always tossed around I found until today.

This is completely true, thank you

yup

Wish I had known/done this when my Husband died. Though it was unexpected, after a surgery, I regret not taking the time to sit and take it in. When I found him, I called 911 and they instructed me to do compressions. He was in rigor and I knew better in my heart, but did as told, and took his last breath as I did so. I was able to spend time with him, as it took the coroner all day to arrive. Police where in my home, the spouse being a suspect. I WAS taken to the station a couple of week later for questioning - over 2 hours. What a terrible experience.

Oh! I never looked at it energetically before. And of course it harmonizes us, and it absorbs the energy, and it shows respect for the Departed. Yes. Thank you as always.

I agree and I also believe it’s a sign of respect.

Interesting because in some cultures white is the colour of mourning. But I take agree that it is valuable and necessary to respect the gravity of the occasion.

Black absorbs energy (white reflects it) so when we wear black to a funeral we absorb energy from everyone around us. This can be helpful or sometimes not so helpful if you are very empathic.

I agree. Wearing black gives the occasion the gravity it deserves and, like you said, creates a feeling of unity amongst attendees. I also don't mind a bit of a tradition and ritual in a world where we are beginning to lack that. Thanks for another good video.