Funerals and Memorials
My experience leading memorial services and funerals spans 20 years during which I served three congregations and worked as a hospice chaplain. The chance to walk with loved ones through a death is perhaps the greatest privilege I have experienced as an officiant. To be invited into this tender time of grief and remembrance is a rare gift and requires a gentle touch. I bring my deep listening skills, my experience in grief counseling and my compassionate spirit to you and your loved ones as you plan a service for someone you have lost.
Whether the death has just occurred or you are remembering someone who died a while ago, it can be difficult to find the words you need. I will help you tell their stories, both humorous and hard, and recover the essence of the person who has died. I can assist you with home funerals, graveside services, memorials held in favorite places, or I will work with a church or funeral home to hold a service in their facilities.
Divorce Rituals
Having gone through my own painful divorce, I believe that this is one of the kindest gifts that we can give to ourselves and our families. My former husband and I chose to hold a sacred ritual to mark the end of our marriage. We experienced immense power and healing in that event, allowing us to make new vows of friendship and co-parenting. I feel so strongly about the importance of finding a way to move through the grief and anger of a lost relationship, that this form of ritual has become central to my own work.
Check back for a new website, Sacred Separations, which I am developing to share more about this specialty of mine.
Pet Memorials
Our human companions are not the only loved ones we lose. If your beloved pet has died, I will be honored to lead you through a memorial ceremony for that special family member. We can plan an event at your home or at another favorite spot. Grief for your pet is just as real as grief for human friends and I will walk compassionately with you through your loss.
In the churches I served, I instituted services of animal blessings and have deep respect for our animal companions and the roles they play in our lives. I am a life-long pet owner, from fish and birds, to small furries and large furries. I currently share my home with two dogs and a cat, and I volunteer with my son at the Asheville Humane Society.
