From the Heart: The your choice Blog.
This is a space for real stories, thoughtful ideas, and reflections on life, loss, and saying goodbye, your way. Whether you’re planning ahead, grieving someone you love, or just exploring what’s possible, you’ll find honest, practical ideas and support for your choices here. No pressure. Just perspective.
Standing with Stories of Loss—Why I’m Proud to Sponsor Grieve 2025
Grief is a landscape I am intimately familiar with. It’s shaped me, broken me open, and, over time, shown me how to keep going—even when the path felt impossible.
The Power and Beauty of a Living Wake
When we think of farewells, we usually picture what happens after someone has passed. But more and more, I’ve found people asking a different question: “What if we said goodbye while they were still here to hear it?” That’s what a living wake offers and it can be one of the most powerful experiences for everyone involved.
Finding Andrew: Farewelling a Complicated Man
Some funerals are simple. You gather the memories, tell the stories, and celebrate a life well-lived. But others ask more of you. They invite you into complexity, into relationships that didn’t follow the textbook, into grief that’s tangled up in decades of silence and love that didn’t always find the right words. Andrew’s funeral was one of those. And I’m grateful for it.
Not Every Funeral Looks the Same And That’s a Good Thing
We’ve all been to that kind of funeral. The one that doesn’t feel like the person. Where the words are nice, but not quite right. The music doesn’t land. The structure feels like a template. But here’s the truth: funerals don’t have to follow a formula. And more importantly, they shouldn’t.
From the Dugout to Goodbye: Peter’s Story
Not every funeral happens inside a chapel. Some unfold on baseball diamonds, under old trees, beside the log that once served as the very first “grandstand.” Some don’t even feel like funerals at all. They’re more like family picnics threaded with memory, music, and the quiet gravity of love. That’s how it was for Peter Santos.
You’ve Been Asked to Speak at a Funeral. Now What?
Sometimes, the hardest part of a funeral isn’t the goodbye itself, it’s figuring out what to say. You’re standing in front of people who are grieving. You’re holding the memory of someone you love. And suddenly, the words don’t come as easily as you thought they might. I see it all the time.
Supporting Kids Through Grief and Goodbyes
As adults, we often try to shield children from grief. We worry the funeral will be too much. That they won’t understand. It might be better if they stay home, away from all the sadness. But here’s something I’ve seen again and again: Children are far more capable of handling loss than we sometimes give them credit for, especially when they’re gently included, supported, and heard. How we support children through a funeral matters.
Farewelling with Aboriginal Culture, Connection and Care
When we honour someone’s life, we’re not just saying goodbye, we’re telling a story. And for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, that story is deeply connected to Country, culture, community, and ancestors. Creating space for culture, connection, and truth-telling is a powerful part of that journey.
“Do We Have to Wear Black?”, she asked.
When Morgan came to me to plan her dad’s funeral, she had a simple but powerful question: “Do we have to wear black?” It was quiet, almost hesitant, like she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to ask. But in that one line, I could feel how much love and thought she was already pouring into this farewell.