Two Loving Farewells

This week, I had the privilege of guiding two heartfelt farewells — each unique, each wrapped in deep love.

The first honouring not just a life, but the wishes of a dearly loved person. Their family entrusted me with their memories, their stories, and their hopes for how their loved one wanted to be remembered — with warmth, with truth, and with love. Together, we created a ceremony that reflected who they truly were; their humour, their kindness, the way they made people feel. In that space, grief and love stood side by side.

The second farewell was quieter goodbye — a parting marked not by fanfare, but by deep appreciation, love and connection. A gentle closing of one chapter, with care and respect for what had been.

In both moments, it was love that led the way. The kind of love that honours a person’s wishes, that listens closely to stories, that holds memories like treasures. No two farewells are ever the same. Each service is shaped with love and care, bespoke and individual, because each soul we lay to rest is unique and every family wants something different and to remember their loved one in their own special way.

Love doesn’t end. It weaves itself into our lives — through shared memories, through stories told again and again, through every small way we remember.

This week reminded me why I do this work. To honour. To listen. To love, even in goodbye.

Cress Tomlinson 07971028724