Process can help to truly celebrate a life
Jean Francis is the founder and inspiration director of Last Wishes, an organisation which seeks to encourage people to think about their legacy and have open conversations with their loved ones about their end-of-life wishes.
Here Jean, from Billingshurst, explains what her organisation www. lastwishes.world does, and why she believes it’s more important now than ever before.
Poppy Mardell said: “Talking about sex doesn’t mean that we’ll have a baby – likewise, to talk about death doesn’t mean we are going to drop down dead.” Like the Grim Reaper Covid-19 rampages relentlessly through the world showing no mercy, families are left grief stricken in its wake.
The pandemic has forced people to contemplate their own mortality and highlighted the wisdom of thinking and planning ahead; lessening the burden for those left behind.
I aim to inspire, educate and empower
people to talk to their families and make end-of-life choices whilst they are well and healthy. Not to do so means loved ones have to make difficult decisions while in a state of shock and bewilderment.
Because death and dying is such a taboo subject, when faced with arranging a funeral people don’t know what to say ‘yes’ to and when to say ‘no.’ Lack of knowledge can lead to impersonal conveyor belt funerals with huge price tags.
I have authored several books described as ‘packed with inspiration’ by Rosie Innman-Cook from the Natural Death Centre, and won a major national award; ‘The Most Significant Contribution to the
Understanding of Death’ for my work on pre-need funeral planning, awarded at the Good Funeral Awards ceremony in Bournemouth in 2013.
I worked for many years as a wedding/ party planner/caterer and more recently a funeral arranger.
I was inspired many years ago having attended two funerals, both of elderly gentlemen who had arranged their own departures prior to need. I emerged on both occasions feeling euphoric, realising how healing a funeral could be; I was off on a mission! The lightbulb’ moment came when I recognised that the experience gained while planning celebratory events could be applied to arranging funerals that truly celebrate life while honouring grief and loss.
● Through this column I will be aiming to answer some of the questions you might have about this process, and how to start those conversations with your loved ones.
If you have a question you’d like me to help with, email it to jean@liveyourlegacy. co.uk. I apprecicate this could cover some sensitive subjects so your name will be kept confidential.