"SENSE-SATIONAL" Memorial Services
Never mind the funerary
fare! Even without encountering death
management specialists, a visit to this community is enlivening in itself.
A virginal jaunt through The
Villages prompts child-like wonder and supposition that one has entered a Land
of Oz. Within a large shopping
plaza along the main access road, golf carts parked in some of the spaces that
usually accommodate cars set the stage. Initially, the clueless newcomer is baffled. These
abbreviated vehicles, though, are but a few of many to be seen in this
expansive senior living mecca.
Though snow covers the
ground floor of most states in the country, here people in early March are seen
zooming around town in multi-styled, open-air conveyances, freely unencumbered
by winter woolies. A prominent
sign along the road announces that this is “a golf cart community.”
This town within Lady Lakes
territory is purportedly the largest single site development in the United
States and the largest gated over-55 community in the world. In 2014 Forbes magazine ranked it the
number one fastest-growing small city in the country. All of the buildings are consistently fresh, appearing new and
pristine. Every amenity one could
imagine is situated within accessible, yet widespread territory, including a
golf course and polo field. A modern
high school building has a designated Lifelong Learning wing with a separate
entrance; dozens of courses are conducted there as well as at other
locations.
When lifelong learning – and
even living – come to a screeching halt, like all of the other local
facilities, the building for Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services is conveniently
located.
Here, within a novel
venue that’s duplicated in only four other countrywide facilities, a review of
an individual’s unique life story can be accentuated by a ShareLife
(registered trademark) experience that triggers the senses amid memorial
sentiments.
Expect to be awed once you've passed through the double doors into the gathering room where commemorative services are held in this funeral facility.
With ceiling projectors activated and through the touch-screen
application of an iPad program, a wide, wall-to-wall screen is festooned with a
scene that could easily take your breath away… perhaps a state of affairs you’d
ordinarily want to avoid in a funeral home! In this context, though, breathlessness is refreshing.
Mourners may actually be the
ones resting in peace within the soothing environment here. Senses are gently awakened through
sights, sounds, and scents of therapeutically intoxicating stimulants. Projected portrayals may simply be
lovely to look at or they may symbolically showcase a feature of the decedent,
thereby epitomizing the concept of a customized life celebration.
The immensity of the visual
image alone is transformative. It
is apt to alleviate grievers’ emotional state of internal combustion
characteristically ignited in the context of an end-of-life milieu. Simply by focusing on the broad expanse
of this provocative span, one is overtaken by a sense of calm. Slow-moving transitions from one image
to another augment the feeling of serenity.
When families make
arrangements for a service here, they can select from a list of sensory options
within package plans. The array of
available video scenes is not included on the facility’s website because of
ongoing variations in offerings. A
package for a particular theme may include a few coordinate pictures that change
during the service.
Depictions of autumnal splendor, a coastline, marshland, ocean waves, city landscape, garden, golf
course, waterfalls, and forest are among the thematic possibilities.
The presence of a casket or possibly an ark – a structure designed to carry and showcase an urn – can allude dramatically to the relevance of the captivating panorama as it relates to the individual's life.
~ Above photos (5) excerpted from Hiers-Baxley promo video ~
Other backgrounds may include
patriotic symbols, a sports motif such as fishing on a lake, a church
interior, or a kitchen. As a basic alternative to an evocative scene, a mostly
blank backdrop that meshes with the three walls in the room can be used
instead. A cross or Star of David
may be overlaid as a central focal point.
Imagine being visually immersed
in your recently deceased grandma’s typical surroundings, among kitchen
appliances that simulate the place where she created her gourmet renderings. To enhance the effect, a nearby device
disseminates the aroma of a freshly baked apple pie, her specialty. Meanwhile, the country music she always
enjoyed while cooking accentuates the characterization of your beloved life
companion.
Like the images, sounds such
as chirping birds, crashing waves, or seagulls, and scents such as kitchen aromas,
flowers, or seaside salty air, also vary.
Instead of choosing a particular sound effect, folks may prefer to
feature musical selections that relate to the deceased individual in some
personalized way. A large photo of
the decedent may be superimposed over the scenic image, off to the side. Alternatively, a tribute video using a
family’s collection of photos can be shown there.
~ Photo from Hiers-Baxley promo video ~
The room itself may be
altered to suit the desired tone.
When informality is an objective for a service, the chairs arranged in
chapel-style straight rows can be moved out of the room and replaced by round
tables, chairs, and couches. These
ordinarily are situated in an adjacent room where receptions are held, but they
are readily available to heighten the aura of relaxation within the larger space.
In the absence of clergy, a
celebrant may officiate at a commemorative service and assist the family in
arranging additional details tailored to exemplify a loved one’s persona.
Funeral homes such as
this one can evoke pleasant surprises in a dynamic setting. Within this one-of-a-kind community
known as The Villages, people may choose to arrange for a one-of-a-kind remembrance
experience marked by sensuous interaction. Like the ever-spinning tires on the prolific golf carts in
this uncommon hamlet, here at this funeral home the wheels of innovation have
been set in motion. One has only
to take a diversionary detour from conventional thoroughfares to discover the realization
of a contemporary concept.
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