There's this contradictory pull within yourself — having to prepare for your grandmother to go, while she's still here with you. My grandmother was the one who brought me up, and when she passed, it wasn't easy for me. I was waiting for her to go, but at the same time, when I called the company, they responded so well. The first thing I felt was compassion. The second was — when both of those feelings come together, you don't feel overwhelmed.

Interviewer: What was your greatest fear when you were calling to enquire about a funeral service, before it even happened?

Joey: The greatest fear was not knowing how to handle my family. But when the Harmony team came, the first thing they did was settle my family — they're very, very good at that, because they know how to settle people's emotions. When emotions run high, it isn't easy to negotiate what to arrange for my grandmother, because everything they wanted was the best for her. They're really very good at settling people's emotions, and they're very compassionate about it.

Interviewer: How did you feel supported during this period by Harmony Funeral Care?

Joey: Besides the logistical side of things — my grandmother passed away at 4am in the morning, so I was thinking, will they even come at this hour? Surprisingly, they came within half an hour. But my grandmother was still with us, so when they arrived I felt like I'd wasted their time, because then they had to wait for so long before we could even discuss the funeral packages. They ended up waiting three hours for my grandmother to go, and they never asked for anything for the wait — they just waited patiently. And the thing that stood out to me most is that they always have tissue in their pocket. Every time someone started to cry, out came a tissue. They had everything covered — not just physically, but emotionally too.

Thank you for trusting in Harmony Funeral Care, your number one bereavement buddy.