By Hannah Jackson-McCamley, who works as a funeral celebrant in London
Most people assume that funerals are always sad. They aren’t. But the current crisis has cast a cloak of sorrow over everything. All aspects of life are more fraught and that is no different for funerals.
Grieving families have less options and that means that every decision holds more weight and this can be very stressful at an already trying time.
Future memorials are a wonderful idea. It is helpful to have hope and something to look forward to. But they should not be used as a deferred funeral. The two events have very different roles and a lack of acknowledgement of bereavement in the present can have long lasting effects. Grief shouldn’t be left in limbo.
I didn’t realise the power of touch until it was prohibited. To see a small congregation walk out of a service standing two metres apart, bereft but unable to instinctively comfort one another accentuates the physical aspects grief and mourning.
Showing your love for the person that has died is not through huge flower displays or fancy cars. The simplest things mean more now than ever; a reassuring smile, a gentle word, a handwritten letter… and when the lockdown is over I hope that remains.
About Hannah Jackson-Mccamley
Hannah’s father died at her home on Boxing Day 2007 when she was 24. After a varied career in advertising and fashion as well as an involvement with Crisis and St Mungo’s, she became a funeral celebrant in 2018 following the death of her father-in-law. Her experience and love of music and literature informs her work. Hannah hosts the Chiswick Death Cafe and lives in West London with her husband and dog.
You can follow Hannah on Facebook and Instagram.
www.hannahthecelebrant.com
