About Home Funerals

All of us will die. As true and simple as that statement is, its reality causes much fear and worry for many. In bringing a funeral vigil into the home, we lay bare the reality of death, and come to find that there is room for our grief and our wholeness, our worry and our hope, our loss and our love.

Choosing to care for the body of a loved one after death empowers family and friends to be part of the natural process at the end of life. This can lead to a greater sense of meaning for those who are grieving. The precious body vessel that contained the life force of a loved one will be leaving the home for cremation or burial. This is an enormous adjustment, and we need time to move toward acceptance of such a large change in our lives. Participating in the loving care of the body in a family-directed home vigil can create opportunities for healing and grieving, in the familiar surroundings of home.

In choosing to stay present with a loved one after death, we give ourselves and others the gift of time. We are invited to slow down in order to take in the fullness of our loss through caring for the body.

Blessing the Journey is here to offer guidance and support along the way. Karen and Annie have training in Home Funeral Guidance and find the work of assisting families with home funeral vigils to be immensely meaningful work.

Thank you!