The death of a loved one can be the most difficult thing any person could ever go through. It is unfathomable in some cases and expected in others, but nonetheless, it takes a toll on every person who touched by it, everyone who has lost someone dear.
To find some way to process this event, we try rituals to bring closure to the experience, to acknowledge the passing. Rituals become traditions, and traditions become – well, what we do, whether we want it or not.
But what if there was a different way? A way to honour the person who has passed, and them specifically: their accomplishments, their family, and their wishes for their remembrance.
There is, and it’s Simple Wishes of the North.
“It is a celebration of life,” says Collin Bourgeois, Managing Funeral Director. “It has to be personalised, the celebration of life has to be relevant to the deceased and their family. It can no longer be a cookie cutter.”
Of course, if you are looking for a traditional funeral, Simple Wishes is happy to provide. But if you have the desire for a more private affair, or one that is simpler, or even one that is as fun-loving and joyful as the person you lost, you will find what you need at Simple Wishes of the North. You will find someone who can help you plan the service you want, without the struggle of doing it alone.
It’s what Bourgeois refers to as ‘Servant Leadership.’
“With time, as things evolve, people change and society’s wishes change, and we have to change with them,” he says. “So at that point we just ask people, ‘what would you like?’ How can we do it for you? We’re taking you by the hand and just saying okay: this is where we’re at, this is where we have to get, and how can we do this together?”
Whether you are looking for a traditional service, a private one, or a barbecue beside the lake - the way the deceased enjoyed all their free time – all is available to you when you plan with Simple Wishes of the North. “It’s all people-based, keeping it simple and respecting wishes – Simple Wishes of the North.”
Most of all, the service can reflect the person you are there to honour – to show their true selves, and what they meant to the world they lived in. “You are different, you are unique, there is only one of you,” says Bourgeois.
And, if you have very specific requests for your own funeral, Simple Wishes of the North also offers pre-planning services, to ensure that while you don’t get to choose when you leave, you get to have the celebration that fits who you are, and how you want to be remembered.
If you would like services that reflect the deceased, rather than the usual customs, Simple Wishes of the North can guide you through the most difficult time in your life, all while allowing you the freedom to choose exactly what you’d like, and what you can afford.
“The celebration of life reflects a life,” says Bourgeois. “As grandiose, as beautiful, or as simple as the life, so goes the celebration.”
You can find more information about Simple Wishes of the North by visiting their website at www.simplewishesnorth.com.