A Stanthorpe funeral
We recently met with a couple who were dealing with a recent cancer diagnosis, and the thought of paying thousands of dollars for a funeral — so soon after all the expenses associated with the illness — was simply too much.
It’s not the only reason we started this business, but it’s certainly up there.
We know that by the time we meet many of our clients, they have already been through a lot. There may have been months of appointments, treatment, travel, time away from work and medical bills. Then, just when they’re already exhausted, someone dies and another set of expenses arrives.
And suddenly, they’re being asked to make decisions about coffins, flowers, cars, services and venues, often at a time when they’re least prepared to make them.
To many of our clients, we are strangers who suddenly come into their lives at one of the worst possible times.
We can’t change what has happened. But if we can make what comes next a little easier, then we’ll take that as a win.
Sometimes that means helping someone understand what actually needs to happen. Sometimes it means finding a way to keep the cost down. And sometimes it’s simply being able to say:
There is often an impression that death is a complicated process filled with rules, regulations and things that must be done a certain way.
Some things do, of course, need to be done properly. There are laws, paperwork and practical requirements that we have to follow.
But there is also an enormous amount of choice.
You get to decide how you say goodbye. You get to decide what matters to you. And you get to decide how much you are comfortable spending.
Nobody should tell you what to do, how to feel or what you should spend simply because that’s the way funerals have traditionally been done.
A funeral doesn’t become more respectful because it costs more.
And choosing an affordable funeral doesn’t mean you loved someone any less.
Sometimes the most meaningful farewell is a simple one. Sometimes it’s a big gathering with all the trimmings. Sometimes it’s somewhere special, surrounded by the people who mattered most.
There is no right amount to spend on saying goodbye.
An affordable funeral is just as respectful as one that breaks the bank.
And if we can help you find a way to say goodbye that feels right for you — rather than simply selling you what we think a funeral should look like — then we’ve done what we set out to do.