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On a hot November afternoon in a cool and shady park in Mullumbimby, northern NSW the first Day of the Dead was held. Organised by Zenith Virago of the Natural Death Centre and attended by Evelyn Jones and Julie Ward from The Rose and The Lily Funeral Wares the day was a great success. On display were coffins made from bamboo and cardboard and Evelyn and Julie displayed examples of their coffin artwork.

People gathered to remember, grieve, and celebrate. Pictures of departed loved ones festooned an enormous fig tree and offerings of candles flowers and messages of love mingled with the tree’s roots.

There was singing and sharing of memories and a coming together of all different people with a common thread. We all lose people we love but we never forget them.

This will be a yearly event and hopefully the start of a tradition that is already firmly placed on the cultural calendar of other countries.

We don’t like to think about it but the reality is that we’re all going to die one day. While we are alive and well it’s worth giving some thought to how you want your body disposed of and the kind of send-off you want when the inevitable happens. We have the opportunity to make it a little easier for our friends and relatives if we make our wishes known before we go.

Some things to consider are -

•  do you want to be buried or cremated
• do you want a funeral
• do you want a church service
• do you want a wake
• what kind of coffin do you want
• what music (if any) do you want to be played
• do you want people to dress in a certain way
• do want flowers
• would you prefer that people donated to your favourite charity
• do you want a memeorial
• would you like your ashes to be scattered
• would you like to be buried on the family property

 These are some of the decisions that your friends and family need to make at a time when they are probably grieving. You can relieve them of this burden by leaving some instructions for them to follow.

The Rose and The Lily Funeral Wares is proud to announce the release of The Byron Bay Rainbow Casket which is available online at earthbeds.com.au and soon to be available from most funeral directors on the far north coast of NSW (Tweed, Byron and Ballina shires). A percentage of the sale of each Byron Bay Rainbow Casket will go to The Tony Narracott Sub Fund of The Northern Rivers Community Foundation.

The Byron Bay Rainbow Casket is made in Australia from 100% recycled cardboard and is safe and strong while not harmful to the environment whether it is either buried or incinerated. It complies with the Australian Funeral Industry standards.

The design evokes memories of the blue skies and crystal clear waters of the far north coast of NSW. On the lid is the Byron Bay lighthouse with a rainbow linking it to a panorama of the hinterland landscape that includes Mt Warning and Mt Chincogan.

The casket is lined with leaf green fabric with a rainbow trim. It is a joyous vessel to send your body or that of a loved one on the final journey.

Death is not a happy prospect for most of us, and rightfully so. Death should be distasteful, for it is only half of the story of life changes. If we are to look upon death honestly, we must acknowledge that on its other side is life. Death is not a ticket to oblivion, but a corridor to greater light.

I would suggest that marriage, relationship, career, or goal vows include the phrase, “Til breath do us part.” If something ends, it is for two reasons: 1) The life force that initiated and sustained it is no longer breathing through it; 2) That same life force is moving in a new direction. In the big picture of life our commitment to life force is far more important than a commitment to something that was once imbued by the spirit of joy but no longer is.

An excerpt from ‘Til Breath Do Us Part
B Y   A L A N   C O H E N

http://www.planetlightworker.com

In this line of work I get to hear about different people’s thoughts on what they want for their funeral. So many people have their friends and family’s interests at heart when they say they don’t want any fuss and that they don’t want a huge amount of money being spent on a funeral. Not many of us expect our relatives to put on a lavish affair.

When I go to a funeral I am naturally interested in the details. What is the coffin or casket made from, do people bring flowers, is there a memorial poem or prayer especially written, is there a small leaflet for the mourners about the deceased? I have noticed that most grieving people want to put on a great funeral for their departed loved one and while most people stay within their budget there are those that spend more than they can afford.

What are we motivated by when we plan a funeral for someone close who has died? I think that most of us see the funeral as being our last opportunity to do something special for the ones we love. It seems to bring comfort to the grieving to provide the best coffin or casket, the nicest hearse, the biggest flower arrangements and the beautiful stationary.

Find out more at painted coffins and funerals

When you consider a lifetime of stories to tell it’s hard to single out a few defining moments. What were your defining moments? Will your family and friends be able to describe them at your funeral? Maybe you could help them by writing a brief history of your life. Don’t forget the humorous moments. Notes like these may be so helpful to your loved ones when they are preparing your funeral.

One of our first coffins for release will be a black coffin with a celtic cross in relief on the lid. This one should appeal to our goth customers. Keep an eye on our website for photos as soon as it is  finished.

Yesterday I attended the funeral of an old family friend. As I listened to the eulogies I was reminded how hard it can be to think of something to say at such a difficult time.

After the service some people commented on how the words of other attendees had reminded them of some long forgotten incident that they wished they had remembered themselves with a view to sharing it with us all.

We could really help our families and friends if we prepare a few words ourselves while the memories are still fresh and we are still alive! Grief makes us foggy and many of us would appreciate having our memories jogged or even have a eulogy prewritten for us.

When someone you love dies it’s a shock to the system. You watch everyone around you carrying on as normal but your life has changed! Can’t they see what has happened to you? How can they go about their business when your world has fallen apart?

One way to cope is to become involved in organising their funeral. It can bring you a lot of comfort to do this for your loved one. You can decorate the coffin, write a memorial poem, compose a special song or arrange to have the service in a special place in nature that was significant to the deceased.

Take this opportunity to do something special and unique for you loved one. It may be the last thing you do for them and it will keep you occupied. That can help!

We think global warming is real and that it is happening NOW. If you know of any eco friendly funeral products eg. coffins and cremation urns please let us know and we will investigate them and possibly stock them. If you care for the planet while you are alive you won’t want to pollute the Earth with toxic materials when you die.