Sentiment - Video and photo montage production

On the 3rd day of Christmas my accountant said to me “I don’t have a will” – * needle scratches record* YOU DON’T HAVE A WILL?? You have to be kidding me right?

The reason this conversation started is because he’s reading a Jeremy Clarkson autobiography – apparently Jeremy talks about the fact when you hit 40 years of age you begin to spend every day for the rest of your life thinking about your death (I’m sure Jeremy Clarkson has a much more humorous way of writing than I do)… anyway.

Since my accountant has turned the ripe old age of 40 he has in fact developed an irrational thinking of death – he fears his man flu is going to turn into throat cancer and his aching old leg joints are thrombosis, his acid indigestion is a heart attack, and the effects of last night curry is going to cause certain death!

I am about to face some facts – the fact is all the people I work with or the people I work for are either dead or dying. They are not ‘passed on’ and they are not ‘lost’ – they are dead! It hurts for me to say it but from now on I’m going to say it! No skirting round the truth!

When I say ‘I’m sorry for your loss’, what I really mean is ‘I really am bloody sorry your mum died and I see your pain’. But I don’t want to say it because I feel it may hurt them and I don’t want to hurt them anymore than they are already hurting – So I skirt round the truth, fluff it up and say anything but the reality of the situation!

When we speak to the bereaved, we say ‘she had a great life’ or ‘she was loved’. Yarda yarda yarda – If there’s a window of opportunity not to be sad then hands up, I’ll take it, as will everyone else if they are to be honest. Its the easy option… but what about the people we are driving off from? Leaving them on the side of the road to find their own way home just to save an uncomfortable journey!?

I was reading the daily undertaker today, the author wrote an article on parting gifts (what I call Funeral Favours). Here at Sentiment, we love ‘Funeral Favours’. If you love giving gifts and you are pre-planning your own funeral, then why not leave a little something as a thank you to your friends and family – it doesn’t have to cost anything.

Some people have sugared almonds as a traditional wedding favour (apologies for any one who had them at their wedding, but yuck!!! ). These days there is a craze for bending the rules of tradition and giving something unique. For my own wedding we hand painted (*roll of the eyes*) Yes HAND PAINTED 130 glass tea light holders!!! At 5am in the morning and with 50 still to go, it dawned on me that it wasn’t the best idea I’d had! However, I have a friend who went one better. Hillary ever so stupidly thought that making an assortment of home made Jams to give to each of her 120 guests was a great idea – she didn’t sleep for a week! (They did taste good though)