Sharon Wood - Funeral Celebrant

07/07/2025

A ceremony, a ritual, a designated time and place to come together to say farewell -
I truly believe such an occasion (and that occasion can be whatever the individual and/or family and friends want it to be) is so very important in the grief process.
To feel the pain and loss of the death of someone important to you. To learn of the death of someone who meant something to you. And then for there to be nothing. Just the news. And then nothing. No being together to share memories. No being in the presence of others who cared about that person too.
Loss and grief is painful enough. In my humble opinion, direct cremation without ceremony makes it more so.

03/07/2025

Today is National Bereaved Parents Day 💜

A child dying is one of the most intensely painful experiences you can go through.

People tell us they feel like they’ve lost a part of themselves and find it difficult to return to normal life.

Each person will handle this grief differently. Whilst some might find comfort in sharing their stories, for others the experience is too painful. There's no 'right' way to grieve.

For more information and support, please visit our website ⬇️

https://ow.ly/i6Cq50WkfxS

26/06/2025

This is an Australian campaign but it’s just as relevant here in the UK.
Talking about end of life wishes and death doesn’t ’talk it up’. It’s not morbid. Put some plans in place and then get on with living a fulfilling life! 😊
As an experienced and progressive celebrant I can advise and facilitate in the planning of your own farewell/celebration of life/memorial ceremony - or even a living funeral/celebration of life if you wish.
I can write your eulogy, or help you to do so, and offer guidance regarding rituals and ceremony content.
I have also had training in End of Life Planning and can help you to put your affairs in order.
Making decisions and having plans in place is a gift to your family. Please don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss the help you might need and the services I can offer.

23/06/2025

Today is International Widows Day 💜

Losing your husband, wife or partner is one of the most painful experiences in life, and can bring a number of other challenges and losses.

For more information and support, head to our website ⬇️

https://ow.ly/TAXn50WeCaL

14/06/2025

🩷💛🩷
Grief and the Loss of Future Memories

One of the quietest, most piercing parts of grief is mourning the future — not just what was, but what will never be. It's the birthdays that won’t be celebrated, the milestones that will pass unshared, the ordinary moments that now exist only in imagination. You find yourself grieving a thousand “what would have been” moments: the graduation they didn’t reach, the wedding they won’t attend, the children they won’t have, or simply another Sunday morning together.

This kind of grief is not rooted in memory, but in the absence of it. It’s a haunting kind of ache — longing for things that never happened, yet feel so real in your heart. And it's this invisible loss, this lifelong unfolding of “what was supposed to be,” that can catch you off guard, years down the track, in the quietest or most joyful moments.

Learning to live alongside the loss of future memories is a hidden layer of grief — and it’s no less real than all the rest.

Artist Credit: Unknown Artist

10/06/2025

Love this

Credit Liz Climo

07/06/2025

Thought this was a helpful visual on grief

06/06/2025

My dad was in the Navy as a young man and loved adventures on rivers and seas later in life.
He made a large donation to the Sheringham RNLI in the last year of his life (for something very specific having listened to a feature on local radio, a critical piece of equipment I think but I can’t recall the detail). Some 25 years ago.
He has missed so much in all these years since and is often in our thoughts.
I’ll be making a donation to the RNLI in his memory on Fathers Day. A gesture to commemorate his love of the sea and his very kind and generous nature.
Significant days and anniversaries are far from easy to navigate but finding something to acknowledge your person can help ease your sorrow - whether it be simply lighting a candle and reflecting on memories, visiting a favourite place of theirs, looking at old photos or perhaps supporting a charity which was important to them. ♥️

Honour his memory​

28/05/2025

14/05/2025

Direct Cremation.

It’s a rapidly growing alternative to a funeral that is now heavily marketed across mainstream and social media.

At the GFG we want to understand more about what this means, and we have created a questionnaire which is gathering thoughts and experiences of people who have experienced someone close to them choosing to not have a funeral.

We’d love all our followers to help spread the word about this and encourage people to share their thoughts with us. The questionnaire can be reached from the GFG Direct Cremation page here: https://www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk/direct-cremation/

We are delighted to be working alongside many individuals and organisations from across the sector as we explore this emerging change in the funeral landscape, including .uk

Do please help us get a real picture of the experiences of real people, rather than the clever marketing messages that so many of us are familiar with from daytime tv!

07/05/2025

On today's blog:

Direct cremation. We want to find out more about why people are choosing it, and how bereaved people feel about it.

If you have experienced someone choosing a direct cremation, please tell us about it by completing our questionnaire.

Do please also share this on your platforms so we can reach as wide an audience as possible and begin to gather some insights into thoughts about this choice.

https://www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk/2025/05/direct-cremation-tell-us-your-thoughts/