Lilleywhite Funeral Service

I have been absolutely blown away by everyone who has reached out following the post I shared about my dad on Wednesday this week.

Thank you to every person who took the time to share their support and memories of my dad. Your kindness and warmth has filled me with so much joy, and through you I have learnt so much about the incredible things my dad did for people. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, I do not have the words to say how much I appreciate all the support.

I am still making my way through all your comments and stories, and I will take time to read every one.

For now, after a very difficult week, filled with emotions, I managed to find a glimmer of happiness by taking my pony Callie and doggie Clio to the beach.

All my love, Amy Lilleywhite 🤍✨

Mental Health Awareness Week 6/7

Working as a funeral director has taught me so many things, one being that time that is not something that is promised to us.

Life is short, try to do the things that fill your heart with joy. Following my dad's passing I don't save my favourite shoes or clothes for best, I wear them. I don't wait to tell someone how much they mean to me, or be there for someone who needs me to be.

This life is so precious, and it is so important to make the choices that make you happy.

With love, Amy Lilleywhite

Illustration by lucyclaireillustration

Mental health awareness week 3/7

Pre-emptive grief is when we feel sad for a future loss. The poet Jack Gilbert said "We must risk delight. We must have the stubbornness to accept gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world." This feeling for me, is mourning the life I grew up dreaming about. Mourning the fact that my dad will never walk me down the aisle. Or meet any future grandchildren, and this particularly cuts deeply, because I know he would have been the most incredible granddad.

In the early days after losing my dad I felt really bitter, my dad was a good man, why did he have to leave? He did so much good in this world, he did not deserve what happened to him. So instead now, I have learnt to live with these feelings and instead I try to reframe them in a different way. I try to remember how lucky I am to have had my dad for as long as I did. To let him live on in the amazing world we do at our funeral service. And treasure all the amazing memories and the impression he left on my heart.

You do not need to deny yourself from grieving major life events without someone you thought would always be there for you. Yet at the same time, we need to remember that they would want us to live our life as best we can, experience love and joy and most importantly be as happy as we possibly can be. Grief is just love that has nowhere to go.

All my love, Amy Lilleywhite

Photo is from Christmas Eve 2017, enjoying the sunshine in my dad's favourite place, Mallorca.