Coming together in ceremony can transform how we experience grief, hope, and community. Whether large or small, these gatherings offer a space to reflect, share, and feel connected.

In my work as a celebrant, I’ve witnessed ceremonies where families honour life’s fragility, engage in shared rituals, and celebrate moments of joy and remembrance. Even simple acts, like blowing bubbles on the grass, can leave a lasting sense of connection.

Take a moment to imagine what a meaningful ceremony could look like in your own community.

Read about how over a thousand people found healing, hope and meaningful connection through a virtual vigil marking one year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan.

One day last week I was settled in at my desk at the crack of dawn, when I would normally still be deep in slumber. I’d been invited by CBC radio to participate in a series of rolling interviews with morning shows across the country. The interviews centered around grief and mourning during the time of a pandemic. If you’re in the habit of reading the obituaries, you may have noticed that most families are opting to make funeral arrangements ‘at a later date when we can physically gather’. I was on the air to emphasize that just because we can’t physically gather right now in the ways that we normally would, it doesn’t mean we should do nothing right now.

Two years ago today, May 6, 2018, I officiated my first end-of-life ceremony. It was an intimate backyard gathering, marking the two-year anniversary of a death. As with all of the memorial ceremonies that I’ve led since then, I got to know the deceased in her death. These are the lessons I learned from the friend I never had.