A Festival of Living & Dying

Matilda Handy, aged 9, came up with the idea of posting letters to heaven when her grandparents died. It was an immediate hit when it was installed at her local crematorium. Now they are appearing around the country.   The opportunity to say those things that remain unsaid, to express your love and loss or your anger and pain that never found an outlet before. Feel a connection with the person who has died as you write or draw a message. This approach is closely allied to the work done now in bereavement support to encourage continuing bonds. In many cultures and faiths there is already an understanding that the ancestors are with us, can be prayed to, connected with and remembered in a rich variety of ways but for those not within those belief systems it can feel hard to know how to do this. This simple yet profound idea invites us to understand we can remain in conversation with those who have died, we can talk to them in our hearts and even listen to their advice. What might you like to say or ask?   Take a piece of paper, sit down for a moment, remember and give yourself time to just say hello or goodbye in your own way. Thank you Matilda for such an instinctively wise idea

This postbox is placed here by the Kicking the Bucket Festival. Please pick up a leaflet and find out about all the other events happening over the city leading up to our hub weekend on November 4^th and 5^th. At the end of the festival these letters will be burnt with some rosemary for remembrance in a respectful and ritual way. The ashes will be buried in the ground near a tree.

If you wish to be part of that ceremony please contact us on info@woodlandburialwestmill.co.uk