Here… or The Hereafter

One minute you’re here…

… And the next…

… Mike and I were married for 14 happy years and had an active social life and many interests together. We were “here” for each other. “Here” for our children. “Here” for pastimes. “Here” for work. “Here” for the good times and the bad.

When he left for work that morning it was nothing out of the ordinary. A kiss goodbye and “see you tonight”. Goodbyes like these can become a little automated and offhand. Like it isn’t that important as there’s plenty of time to say more later…

… Until of course, there isn’t.

Little did either of us realise that morning that when he left for work it would be the last time I would ever see Mike alive…

… Enter the Hereafter.

I’m told it was a freak blood clot, a one in a million deal – this of course didn’t make me feel any better. It was just a report from someone who didn’t know what to say to me to make things better. Not that they ever could make anything better in that moment. I don’t blame them now, but at the time I was furious with many things people said.

I’ll never forget that initial call from the hospital. I crumbled in that moment and there was really nothing anyone could say to make me feel better. It would take a lot of time to come to terms with this new terrible reality that I never asked for or wanted. It was all such a blur through that initial week or so especially.

I so wished to be back with Mike and would’ve happily joined him if some freak accident had taken my life also. But through it all was the thought that I knew he would want me to go on. To look after our children. To get through it all as best I could and emerge to one day smile and find happiness again.

It felt impossible but I knew I had to do something.

Luckily a friend who had needed a funeral director recently arranged for them to contact me and help me through all the details of arranging Mike’s funeral. Crane Funerals made everything as easy as possible for which I am ever grateful. They handled everything for us and arranged the entire funeral service in a way that I’m sure Mike would’ve liked – and which felt like a lovely way to say goodbye to Mike.

And for such wonderful service and a well planned funeral it was surprisingly affordable when you consider how costs all over are sky rocketing right now.

Crane Funerals helped us through patiently at a pace that suited us. It left us with time to concentrate on coming to terms with our loss and figure out the best way to say our goodbyes to Mike. I can never thank them enough for everything they did for us.

They helped us arrange beautiful flowers, booklets and a touching photo tribute for Mike. The tribute page they set up for Mike online was also excellent. It gave people a place to come together and leave a tribute for Mike, and some lovely and much appreciate words of support for us.

Crane Funerals really were such a big help and saved us a lot of time and extra frustration.

So, if you are still “here”, perhaps keep in mind prearranging or even prepaying for your or a loved one’s funeral.

And if you have been taken suddenly to the “hereafter” like Mike was, I can think of none better than Crane Funerals to take care of you and the grieving family you’ve left behind.