Jennifer is author of ‘Say Farewell Your Way’ - a funeral planning guide for Ireland, blogger of www.theglamreaper.blogspot.com, creator of Irish Glass Memorial Jewellery line: Humans www.celtic-ashes.com; Pets - www.rainbowbridge-memorials.com, planner of Memorials at funeral homes and talker - @TheGlamReaper on Twitter and Tedx 2017 Any questions just ask - muldowney.jennifer@gmail.com
By Jennifer Muldowney
We can all make a difference! COVID, Quarantine, Isolation, Social Distancing, Corona Virus - we have heard these words hundreds if not thousands of times over the last 3 months and will again for another 3 months no doubt. It is all anyone can talk about. In March, a video posted by the media outlet Corriere Della Sera showed a convoy of military trucks transporting around 60 coffins from the overwhelmed morgues of Bergamo, Italy to cremation sites in other towns. New York, where I currently reside, became the ‘new’ Bergamo in April. The new epicenter. I work in Manhattan mostly, in the funeral industry, and when COVID-19 officially took off here in the US I had my first little panic attack – what if my mom or dad or any of the people I love back home, were dying of this horrid virus and all I could do was Facetime them? This was the reality people the world over faced, our loved ones dying alone and then, remembering and grieving them, alone. Incredible community spirit 66 | FuneralTimes
has been shown all across the world, where “Beautiful flowers,” have been placed in lieu of physical presence in churches and venues showing “People are with you” during the funeral, which was broadcast live from a quaint town in Washington State, USA.
And colourful processions like this 72 strong tractor entourage in Ohio are littering the world map showing distinct respect and communities in mourning, all this showing we are more together than ever before.
When I think of the funeral industry and their efforts during the quarantine, I am reminded of a story about a young girl who was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!” The girl bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied, “Well, I made a difference for that one!” In this tale – the girl is any responder – first, or last
