Celebration of Life Ceremony for Feraidoon Farhang

Over the weekend, I officiated at Mr. Farhang's celebration of life ceremony at Sunset Hills Memorial Park and Funeral Home.

We met about seven years ago at the marriage of Faye, Feraidoon's daughter, and Cory.  It was a wonderful occasion and I had a chance to get to know the family.  So it was a mix of emotions to receive the call from Faye:  sadness, of course; delight to hear of Cory and Faye's son; anticipation about seeing everyone.

It was a dramatic day:  winds blowing, rain dumping, cold and chilly.  And it was a dramatic time:  a time to reflect and remember, to rejoice in the life we have, to recall our purpose on Earth.

Sending love and prayers and all good things to the Farhang and Hutsell families and friends.

Celebration of Paul Schandel's Life

On May 20th, a celebration of life ceremony was held for Paul Schandel, son of Donald and Paula Schandel, brother of Leesa and Celeste, father of Devon and Cameron, beloved of many.  Uncles and aunts, as well as friends, traveled far to attend the service.

Rhonda Funk, Paul's cousin, began things by playing the keyboard and singing "You Are My Sunshine."    Leesa, Paul's sister, recalled her brother as a three-year-old strumming his toy ukulele while singing along to this song with his grandmother in her kitchen.







Family and friends gathered many, many photographs to create a remembrance table of Paul's life.





 

Other photos were strung in the trees and used as part of the centerpeices.

 







Besides being a passionate Harley rider, Paul loved the Boston Bruins.  His niece, Zoe, presented a reading of our dear her uncle was to her ... and family and friends shared their memories.

And Paul loved to BBQ  So that was the food of the evening.

Here is Leesa and her husband, Josh, enjoying the fine fare.  It was messy ... and yummy.  (I was honored to officiate at their wedding!)  So good to see happy couples years after their wedding day.

All were profoundly grateful that Paul touched their lives -- what better a tribute is there.  His memory will live on through each and every person there.





Kent and I are thankful to be a part of people's lives:  the happy moments (weddings and baby blessing) and the celebrations of life lived.  All touch us in unique ways.  I got to know Paul vicariously and am glad to have had the experience.  Prayers and blessings to his family and friends.

Celebration of Life Service for Rita Eby

I was honored to officiate at the celebration of life service for Rita Eby (September 11, 1930, to January 24, 2013) last weekend.  Rita lived a rich life with her husband, Bill.  They were married for 59 years!

Her daughter, Vickie, contacted me about a week ago.  I had officiated for her and her husband, Mark, about five years ago.  They remembered me and wanted someone they knew to lead the service.

Rita was very well loved -- the room at Tibbetts Creek Manor was filled with family and friends.  Of course, her daughter and two sons, Tom and Bob, hosted the gathering.

Several wonderful readings were selected by Vickie.  This one is by Daphne Rose Kingma:

It is love that fashions us into the fullness of our being---not our looks, not our work, not our wants, not our achievements, not our parents, not our status, not our dreams.

These are all the fodder and the filler, the navigating fuels of our lives; but it is love, who we love, how we love, why we love and that we love which ultimately shapes us.  It is love, before all and after all in the beginning and in the end, that creates us. 

Today, remembering this, let yourself acknowledge and remember the moments, events and people who bring you – even momentarily, into a true experience of love and allow the rest, the inescapable mundanities of life, like a cloud, to very quietly drift away. 

Rita was an avid bowler.  Her teammates were her dear friends and I got to meet many of them.  The room was decorated with items that reflected her hobby and her passion.



One of my favorite parts of the afternoon was the sharing of remembrances:  we laughed and cried as memories were recalled and spoken.  Rita will certainly live on in the hearts of everyone there.