With the RSVP’s for the June 14 Memorial Service due at the end of this week, I’m guessing more than a few of you are asking the question which is the title of this blog. A few years ago, I had an intern who attended our Northshore office’s Memorial Service with me. Since I knew this had been a new experience for her, I asked her opinion of the service. She responded that she enjoyed it, and I then asked why she thought that was. She explained that a SJH Memorial Service differs from a traditional funeral, because there is not a body or an urn to focus on. Instead, when one attends this type of service, the attendee is able to truly celebrate the life of her loved one with much more clarity than during those initial days after a death.
From my perspective, our memorial services have given me some of the most rewarding experiences I have had at St. Joseph Hospice. Each time, I watch family and friends walk into the service with a look of anxious anticipation on their faces. As the service progresses, I see many reaching for tissue to dry the tears which leak from their eyes. We provide a participatory ritual during each service, with the June ritual being the decorating of our Memorial Wreath. After each participant comes forward to place her flower in the precise spot of her choosing, it appears that an emotional weight is lifted in the process of placing the flower. By the time the service ends, the room appears to be a totally different place than it was in the beginning. The participants are “lighter,” laughing, joking, and reminiscing as they leave for the reception.
If you have any questions about the service or about how to RSVP, please call me (Kim) at 504-734-0140 or via e-mail at stjosephnober@yahoo.com.
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