Always In Our Hearts

When someone passes away their life may have ended, but the love and memories we have can continue to be shared so that they will live on in our hearts forever.

We understand that every loss is very personal, and everyone finds their own way to cope with the experience. Often people can find comfort by doing something meaningful that honours the memory of the person they have lost, and this is what creating a Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke ‘Always In My Heart’ online tribute is all about.

It’s a personalised special place of remembrance where family and friends can add and share photos, videos and stories, creating a wonderful online memory box of time spent with their loved one. It can help people to easily keep in touch and support one another through the grieving process, and going forward, share information about special anniversaries or any other important family occasions.

User friendly and accessible on a PC, tablet or mobile phone, content can be uploaded easily, and there is no set-up cost. Privacy settings can be adjusted to give the family full control of who sees the content, and it belongs to them to use for as long as they want, remaining online permanently, or for a specific period of time, allowing the memories of their loved one to live on for future generations.

Whilst there is no expectation of fundraising, or making a donation in memory, if someone does choose to do so, they will be ensuring their loved one’s impact is never forgotten. By raising vital funds for our charity, they will be helping save local lives, and make an amazing difference to the care and support we are able to provide to people living with chest, heart and stroke illnesses in our communities, as well as their families.

If you would like to find out more or need assistance setting up an online tribute with us, please telephone 028 9032 0184 or email inmemory@nichs.org.uk

Setting up an online tribute with us is free, easy and only takes a few minutes:

• Go to: www.nichs.muchloved.org

• Select ‘Create A

- By Ian FeeLakelands Funeral Home & Crematorium, Cavan

Whilethe essence of a funeral has remained largely unchanged over the millennia that they’ve been a part of the human story, the symbolism and cultural relevance of them changes significantly depending on the social and philosophical background of the community and the deceased. Funerals in Ireland, certainly over the last couple of centuries have been largely shaped by the Churches and the faith practices of the people. Recent times, though, have seen an array of new approaches and understandings of what a funeral can be, and how it can be a much more bespoke celebration of the life being commemorated.

For funeral directors, this can present new challenges, not just practically but also ideologically. People come to us not just with their plans and arrangements, but with the life of their loved one, with all its colours and textures, asking us to help them pay tribute to their individuality. Modern life is so cosmopolitan, much more so than ever before, and we need to be both open and understanding of this when it comes to the types of funerals they want.

Whenever I’m arranging a service, I always emphasise to the loved ones that we start with a blank page. If it’s not a church service, and we’re not bound by strict liturgical rules and prescribed rites, we can create a service that reflects the singular life we’re remembering. Music, symbols, reflections, all that goes into making the service what it is, all can be tuned to the frequency of that person’s life, their spirit and character. While we may find some of it unusual, while it may not line up with our beliefs and while we may need to ask the family or loved ones for guidance on how best to represent the deceased’s life, as long as we approach it with respect, with a willingness to understand and learn, and with the dignity we would hope would be shown to one of our own, then we’re on the right foot. Diversity might be thought of by some as a modern concept, but it’s always been the marker when it comes to the distinctiveness of each person and the understanding that the ‘one size fits all’ approach is not the way to arrange a funeral service. As in life, how we mark a death can be something truly representative and beautifully unique.