It wasn't until the ceremony started that I realised my grandfather had requested for his funeral to be a humanist ceremony.
I had never spoken with my grandfather about religion or his beliefs in anyway. He was a fascinating character. A prolific traveller and storyteller. He always had a story to hand of foreign lands, wars, romances and gardening. As a result I never delved into his politics or religion.
And here I was at his Humanist funeral, having spent so much time with him, talking about so much - and yet net never asking any of these big questions. But then maybe I guess we didn't need to.
Now I can see, in his love and compassion for others, his joy from his garden and his hopes that everyone in the world would one day just stop fighting and get on with living - that it was absolutely in keeping with his beliefs and moral code that his funeral should be a Humanist funeral.
I know now, that I too will be planning a humanist ceremony for my own passing as well.
Though do I hope this will be a long way off!
I had never spoken with my grandfather about religion or his beliefs in anyway. He was a fascinating character. A prolific traveller and storyteller. He always had a story to hand of foreign lands, wars, romances and gardening. As a result I never delved into his politics or religion.
And here I was at his Humanist funeral, having spent so much time with him, talking about so much - and yet net never asking any of these big questions. But then maybe I guess we didn't need to.
Now I can see, in his love and compassion for others, his joy from his garden and his hopes that everyone in the world would one day just stop fighting and get on with living - that it was absolutely in keeping with his beliefs and moral code that his funeral should be a Humanist funeral.
I know now, that I too will be planning a humanist ceremony for my own passing as well.
Though do I hope this will be a long way off!
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