I don’t know about you, but now more than ever, I love hearing uplifting stories and good news.
As the President and Co-founder of TribuCast®, a remote attendance system which allows family and friends to virtually attend a funeral or memorial service in real time, one would think that life might look gloomy for me at times. While burying a loved one is never easy, I do feel a sense of peace knowing that our unique live streaming system has helped so many families throughout the mourning process.
The reality is that when planning a funeral or memorial service, nine out of 10 services have loved ones who cannot attend. Whether it’s due to health or other issues that make travel difficult, military or work commitments, illness, or most recently, issues related to COVID-19, people that want to be there might not be able to.
Our research has found that when people can’t attend a service, it can be devastating and dramatically impact how they are able to effectively manage their unresolved grief.
This is where TribuCast® comes in. We help those grieving attend remotely, regardless of distance.
In doing so, my team and I have witnessed some pretty remarkable moments that have allowed people to truly celebrate their loved one, and memorialize them in a way as unique as those they have lost. Since 2018, we have allowed people to read the program from the services, hear the carefully chosen music, shed tears through the eulogy, and send real-time love and spiritual support to the deceased’s loved ones, no matter where they are in the world.
Here are just a few of the TribuCast® stories that have warmed my heart:
A MARRIAGE AND LIFE TO CELEBRATE
A beautiful couple was married for more than 60 years, and when the wife passed away, sadly her husband was in the hospital and unable to attend the service. Having been married for such a significant amount of time, one can imagine the large extended family and group of friends that were present to celebrate their beloved matriarch. Because the funeral was tribucast, the service was tailored to the patriarch watching from his hospital room. Family members and friends knew he was watching, how difficult it was for him not to be present, and could speak directly to him. It was extremely powerful to witness such a legacy and such emotion communicated virtually.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
In a similar story, an older gentleman passed away and unfortunately his wife could not attend the funeral because she was in the hospital. She was absolutely devastated at the prospect of not getting the chance to properly say goodbye. Her daughter moved the camera around the room sharing each and every detail of the funeral. She was able to see her husband very closely, getting so close to each detail that she could even read the cards from the flowers that were sent for the service.
A NATIONWIDE MEMORIAL
Research shows how difficult it can be for people to attend a funeral if the deceased is located more than a three-hour drive away. We recently worked with a funeral home on a service for a woman who passed away in Florida, but was a lifelong resident of Ohio, where she raised a family and had a wide network for friends. With a sister retired in Virginia, a niece in D.C. undergoing chemotherapy, there were many key loved ones unable to attend. TribuCast® allowed people from nearly 10 states to virtually attend the service.
From a young woman toasting to family and friends with a glass of her late mother’s favorite wine saying, “My mom would have wanted to toast all of you,” to a family scattering their late father’s ashes on the Rockies this past winter, virtually streaming these poignant moments means people no longer have to worry about missing a memorial service with TribuCast®.
There are 2.6 million deaths in the U.S. annually. While there is nothing we can do to change this reality, we here at TribuCast® feel fulfilled knowing that our service is providing those that are mourning with comfort and support. We are enabling those far away to properly honor and celebrate a loved one, regardless of their location or life circumstances. When faced with grief, what could be more important or uplifting than that?