Humanism is a life philosophy that I have been living for most of my life, although I didn’t realize it until a couple of years ago. I’m a member of the American Humanist Association and the Humanist Association of Greater Philadelphia. The decision to become a Celebrant came after several conversations with my family about what options we, as secular people, have when planning for our end of life. At the time, we felt that we had very few options until we learned about what Celebrants have to offer. The option of celebrating one’s life in a joyful, non-religious, yet compassionate manner gave us a whole new approach to the end of life plan.
Then I thought about my wedding day. My husband and I were married by the Mayor of our town in 1988. We asked for a secular ceremony and was told that it was no problem. On the day, in the middle of our vows, the service took a religious turn and all of our guests gasped. If I had a hard time getting married, then maybe other people did too.
Becoming a Celebrant was an opportunity to further serve my fellow humans. I sincerely want to bring joy to people in their happiest times and comfort in times of loss. Everyone has the right to be treated equally with care, compassion, dignity and respect without prejudice or discrimination. This is a big part of the life path I walk daily. I believe that people should have choices in the type of life services they want whether it be the LGBTQ community, interfaith couples, secular communities, etc. I strive to make your event personal and special as we come together to celebrate life.