Grieving Family Shares Touching Reasons They Chose A Celebration Of Life Over A Funeral

There are many different ways to grieve a lost loved one, but this family makes a compelling argument for having a celebration of life instead of a funeral! Alex Ostebo shared a beautiful video on social media about her sister’s passing. In order to honor her memory, this woman’s family decided to break with many “traditional” funeral practices. We’re sure Denali would be touched by how people chose to remember her!

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In the video, Alex shared the many different ways that a celebration of life gave her family some much-needed closure. This unconventional ceremony allowed everyone room to grieve Denali on a personal level. First, they honored the young woman’s memory by wearing her favorite color, yellow. Then, everyone shared a few words on how much she meant to them.

After the eulogies were over, family members had the opportunity to write Denali a special note. These were attached to beautiful wreaths of flowers which guests tossed off a dock and into a body of water that led into the ocean. Some people even jumped in for a swim!

Next, there was music at the Denali’s celebration of life.

“Guitars came out and a sing-a-long started next to the tree we planted for her,” wrote Alex in her video. “Then moved to the porch where we sang and played for the rest of the guests. It soon became a dance party with my sister’s favorite songs.”

In the end, the experience was very cathartic for everyone. In her caption, Alex reiterated that a celebration of life was the perfect way for her family to grieve their lost loved one.

“We had an event celebrating Denali’s life instead of one mourning her death,” she wrote. “It turned out to be the best decision for our family and resulted in a beautiful, incredibly sad day that brought us all together.”

What a meaningful way to remember someone special!

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.