Episode 34 - Living wake/funeral

This episode of the podcast is one that challenges the conventional narratives surrounding end-of-life ceremonies and funerals.  

In it, I have a wonderful chat with Tim and Paul, whose mum Mary Anne decided to face her own mortality and embraced the idea of a living wake after deciding not to continue treatment for Bowel cancer.  

 
Often at funerals, people remark to me that it is a shame that the person who died didn’t hear all the lovely things that others had to say about them.   

 

But Mary Anne got the opportunity before her death, to be with her family and friends and to hear the many reasons they loved her at her living wake.  

 

Her loved ones shared and stories and memories and were able to express their gratitude to Mary Anne so she was able to hear how people felt about her before she died.  

 

Tim and Paul offer their different perspectives on this celebration of their mums’ life.  

 

Living wakes or funerals are certainly not for everybody, but the landscape of funerals is changing as we explore alternatives to the solemn occasions that funerals traditionally have been.   

 

Whether you are curious about the concept, planning such an occasion for yourself or a loved one, or seeking a fresh perspective on one of life’s inevitabilities, this episode has it all.  

 
Fiona Garrivan Celebrant