Funeral arrangements have never been an easy thing to deal with.  It’s always been difficult to make arrangements for the final memorials of a loved one who has passed. For decades, funerals have pretty much remained the same. Family and friends gather in a chapel, some songs play, a preacher gives a talk, more hymns then everyone leaves.

But recently, the idea that funerals should be somber, sad and stressful has been changing.  The final goodbyes to loved ones has taken a turn toward celebrating their lives, recalling their accomplishments during their life.  The new attitude toward funerals is slowly turning from the stress of grieving that someone has died toward a celebration that they lived.

One funeral home in Crossville takes the celebrating of life memorials very seriously. Hood Funeral Home and Crematory offers families of deceased loved one’s a variety of service formats including a Celebration of Life memorial.   We found one feature of Hoods Funeral home gives a much more celebration of life throughout the entire building utilizing four large screen tv’s to display ‘celebration of life’ videos with music and pictures of the loved one’s life.    Mr. Hood tells CNF ” Some families still prefer traditional services but we’re seeing a lot more choosing a celebration of life memorial service. We do our best to capture the essence of someones life and provide a sense of celebrating that life”.

Even for those who choose cremation, families are choosing a ‘celebration of life’ memorial service with a more informal and a lighter environment of family and friends remembering their loved one with a casual setting. Some families are even choosing a ‘thematic’ memorial. We were told of one memorial celebration where the loved one was a life long farmer.  The entire staff wore over-alls and the chapel was decorated with hay bales and other farm implements.

It’s never easy to say goodbye to someone you love…but the new approach of celebrating their life and remembering all they have given throughout their lives seems to be fast becoming a more suitable manner to memorialize a loved one. One family member at a recent funeral service told us “It’s ok to be sad they died, but more importantly – be glad they lived”