Loss is an inevitable part of life. And with it of course, comes grief.
Grief can feel like a deep, dark hole that we will never climb out of, but when it all feels hopeless,
I like to remember that it works just like love.
Because, when we first fall in love, it is intense.
It is overwhelming and consuming and loud. We cannot think of anything else, and we constantly crave the one we love.
After a while it becomes less intense, but it grows.
It grows deeper, more comfortable. It settles down and settles in for the long haul, knowing that it is not fleeting or superficial. It is less consuming. Quieter. An undercurrent of our every day without overwhelming our every thought.
Sometimes something will happen to bring that overwhelming love back to the surface; moments of pride or surprise or nostalgia that remind us just how much we love someone. Moments where our love is once again intense and loud.
And then it settles back into our heart where it knows it will stay.
Grief is the same.
At first it is loud and consuming, intense and overwhelming.
We constantly crave the one we grieve.
Then it becomes less intense, less consuming. An undercurrent of our every day without overwhelming our every thought.
And sometimes something will happen to bring our grief bubbling right back to the surface. Moments where our grief is once again intense and loud.
And then it settles back into our heart where it knows it will stay.
Because great grief is born of great love.
So where grief remains, where grief rests,
it often helps to remember that love is there too.
Sitting with her arm around grief
and holding it tight.
Becky Hemsley
To the living, I am gone,
To the sorrowful, I will never return,
To the angry, I was cheated,
But to the happy, I am at peace,
And to the faithful, I have never left.
I cannot speak, but I can listen.
I cannot be seen, but I can be heard.
So as you stand upon a shore gazing at a beautiful sea,
As you look upon a flower and admire its simplicity,
Remember me.
Remember me in your heart:
Your thoughts, and your memories,
Of the times we loved,
The times we cried,
The times we fought,
The times we laughed.
For if you always think of me, I will never have gone.
Margaret Mead
As I talk to families about their departed loved one’s lives I am always mindful of this. The following of the light despite occasional darkness. It’s such a privilege to put these stories together, to paint pictures of their time on Earth.
Make every second count. Life flies by.
❤️
#catherinepasekcelebrant
#halifaxcelebrant
#calderdalecelebrant
#followthelight
#funeralservice
This is my wish for you :
Comfort on difficult days,
smiles when sadness intrudes,
rainbows to follow the clouds,
laughter to kiss your lips,
sunsets to warm your heart,
hugs when spirits sag,
beauty for your eyes to see,
friendships to brighten your being,
faith so that you can believe,
confidence for when you doubt,
courage to know yourself,
patience to accept the truth,
Love to complete your life.
🌈
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
🎨 ~ Sonia Koch
#AWISH
#catherinepasekcelebrant
#halifaxcelebrant
#calderdalecelebrant
#iwishyouhope
#iwishyoulove
#ralphwaldoemerson
#soniakoch
Joining hands, we become a circle,
Complete, connected and timeless,
We are whole, but not exclusive,
We are one and we will live as one,
But with endless others encircled around us.
Our marriage is neither beginning or end,
But a natural progression of our union,
Which finds us bound but not restricted.
All that was separate yields and flows,
Softly, towards the shared path of our future.
On the foundation of past knowledge,
We build modern family, a space of love,
An expanding community of new and old,
Emitting love, light and sublime acceptance,
We find all things reflected back at us,
Everything is provided for.
Together we hand-craft our next life phase,
It is all embracing, welcoming and generous,
The sensuous safety of our self made space,
Helps us to live bravely and without boundaries,
Here we nurture, thrive and multiply.
All history is ours now, set down by us, made by us,
Strong roots continually feed us, everything is possible,
We grow, we build, we share eternally now.
And holding hands, we look up, prepare,
For there is still far to go.
💖💞💖
(Ever Increasing Circles by Helen Marsh)
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#iwannaholdyourhand
#EverIncreasingEverAbounding
#halifaxcelebrant
#weddingcelebranthalifax
#calderdalecelebrant
#catherinepasekcelebrant
#happyeverafter
#gettinghitched
#strongroots
#Ourlove
“It's not what you have on the outside that glitters in light, it's what you have on the inside that shines in the dark ...”
~ Anthony Liccione
🌟 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Artist: Jungsuk Lee
#catherinepasekcelebrant
#halifaxcelebrant
#shineyourlight
#dropletsoflight
#ShineBright
We are all visitors
to this time,
this place.
We are just passing through.
Our purpose here is to observe,
to learn, to grow
to love....
and then,
we return home.
(Aboriginal proverb)
#passingthrough
#midwivesofthesoul
#aboriginalart
#aboriginalproverb
#catherinepasekcelebrant
#halifaxcelebrant
art | Colleen Wallace Nungari, Dreamtime Sisters
It’s always an honour to read someone else’s story. Discovering the chapters, the true pith and pips of a person and presenting a loving vignette at their final farewell is a privilege. Sometimes unexpected greatness arises from the quietness. It’s my job to find out what made that person who they were and keep the memory alive.
#someonelsesstory #beautifuleulogy #funeralcelebrant #halifaxcelebrant #HopeThisHelpsSomeone
