Celebrant Pam Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Funeral Celebrant Los Angeles

NEWS ARTICLE

Articles Submit: Remembering USC Fan: Chuck Carlson

by Pam Vetter

Placing a USC banner and a football signed by the USC quarterback into any casket may seem different, but not if it’s for a super-fan like Chuck Carlson. He was a man who was filled with passions, unlimited love, and he deserved a one of a kind service.

When Chuck passed away a few days after Valentine’s Day, his wife, Laurie, and children, Robbie and Christine, chose a new concept to lead the way: A Funeral Celebrant. A Celebrant is a person who meets with the family, listens to life stories, and works hand-in-hand with the family to plan a personalized funeral service. For the family, it was an obvious choice as Laurie explained, "It was important to personalize Chuck’s service because we wanted to celebrate his life. The only way to do that was to make the service truly about him rather than impersonal and just filling in the blanks for some generic memorial service. Although his life was cut short, it was one filled with life and joy and he touched many, many people while he was alive. It was extremely important to me to celebrate that fact."

Celebrant Pam Vetter started the process with a meeting at the family home, which Laurie, the children and their spouses, found worthwhile. "The family meeting and talking about Chuck was extremely valuable, as well as healing for us. First of all, it gave us an opportunity to describe Chuck to the Celebrant and to allow her to capture his spirit and character in the service. It also was filled with sharing happy stories and laughter as well as tears, and that was very cathartic for us. It put us in the right mindset to celebrate his life rather than mourn his death."

Vetter offered suggestions while empowering the family. Together, they were focused on reflecting Chuck’s passions in life: His family, USC, and golf. "The Celebrant offered suggestions, asked appropriate questions about our preferences, and encouraged us to do what we thought Chuck would want, and created a service that did perfect justice to Chuck’s memory. We were allowed to make all the decisions and felt that we had complete control over the procedure as well as the ‘spirit’ of the service."

Laurie’s reflection upon the service is positive, helping her deal with Chuck’s loss. "The service was completely uplifting, unlike any others I have attended in the past. It was neither morbid nor dreary. The focus was not on the religious side of death, although it included the belief that there is life beyond death. The focus was on how Chuck embraced life, how he touched others and how the world was a better place for his having been here. The most important part of the service for me was hearing my children and their spouses speak of Chuck. Their words touched me so deeply and I loved hearing them share their feelings and stories. The second most important part of the service was hearing the Celebrant summarize Chuck’s life because it gave a complete picture of Chuck and his generosity, kindness, and love of life." The family participated in organizing the service, even choosing the music. "We chose music that Chuck would have loved. The Celebrant gave us permission to do whatever we wanted and not to worry about what people might think. So, we chose happier songs by Chuck’s favorite artist, Frank Sinatra, for the prelude. And, we chose very happy music for the postlude - USC’s band music, played at all the football games. It made everyone smile."

In the end, Laurie would recommend using a Celebrant. "We received a great deal of positive feedback regarding Chuck’s service. Many said they were uplifted and inspired to be a better person. Everyone said they loved learning so much about Chuck, hearing all sides of his life. We definitely honored Chuck’s life and his life message, which was to live life to the fullest and leave the world a better place. The wonderful stories embraced his great sense of humor and love of life. Even the music reflected his positive view of life." The family also chose flowers in Chuck’s favorite USC colors: Cardinal and gold.

To close the service, Laurie requested a poem from "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, which was used at her mother’s funeral: "When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars and he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun."

Laurie knows that Chuck would have loved the service because every element honored his life. In her words, "It was perfect."

Article Source: http://www.Articles-Submit.com
www.CelebrantPam.com
www.InsightBooks.com