Setting Sail

Leaving the safe haven
Setting sail involves embarking on the journey that takes us from life to death. It is the transformation from one phase to the next - a process about which we know very little, given our scant knowledge about what happens to us when we die.

It is a voyage that requires us to leave our safe haven, our lifelong place of comfort. We leave the body behind and commence our journey to another, unknown destination. Carried upon the waves of all we have been blessed with in life, we set out on a course that will bring us through death and on to whatever lies beyond.

Saying farewell to a loved one is a difficult but unavoidable experience, one that we all must go through and learn to accept at some time or other. The last goodbye is an emotional experience filled with grief, nostalgia and the committing of the memory of the deceased to our hearts.

The ritual that accompanies the departure of our loved ones gives us the opportunity to reflect upon their lives. It also offers us a moment to reflect upon our own lives and to form for ourselves a distinct image of life, of death, of love and of hope.

I will do all I can to help your family member or friend to set sail for the last time.