Where: Denmark, Brædstrup People: Scandinavian Religion: Cultural Protestantism Ritual: Funeral
Lauri Makela died from mesothelioma at Gudenå Hospice on March 13, 2017.
Lauri was faced with the decision of receiving in-home care or staying in a hospice for the remainder of his life. He chose the hospice. He was very happy about this decision as he could receive all the help he needed round-the-clock.
The first thing Lauri told me, when I met him was that he didn’t believe in any god. He was an atheist, he said.
At the same time, Lauri had a unique spiritual awareness and believed in reincarnation. He also believed that when he died, he would come to a very peaceful place – a beautiful valley with lots of light and a clean fresh river. While he found this vision very comforting, he wasn’t sure where this valley would lead him, but he was sure, that he would be reborn as a human.
Lauri taught himself to meditate many years ago, and used meditation in his fight against the cancer. He believed that his meditation practice helped prolonging his life.
At the start of his illness, Lauri underwent chemotherapy as a palliative treatment, knowing it would not cure him. However, the chemotherapy made him very sick, and he began to question the sense in feeling so unwell for the limited time he had left. As a result, he decided to stop the treatment and felt a little better.
Thank you very much to Lauri and his amazing family who let me into their lives with my camera during this difficult period.
At the hospice, Lauri stumbled and fell while on his way to the bathroom.Lauri at the hospice with his children and a grandchild.Lauri and his wife Elisabeth, who unfortunately died from a severe lung inflammation three months after Lauri died.The staff at the hospice is cleaning Lauri after he died. The family preferred to step outside the room.Simo, Lauri’s son, looking at his deceased father after the staff at the hospice has prepared him for the night.Early morning the undertaker arrived to place Lauri in the coffin and to arrange the funeral with the family.Lauri liked paragliding a lot. Hence the green t-shirt, which is from a paragliding tournament.Even though Lauri was a declared atheist, he was still a member of the Danish church.The priest is blessing Lauri.In Denmark, it is customary for close family members to carry the coffin out to the hearse.The hearse taking Lauri to the crematorium.After the service in the church, family and friends gather in the parish hall for coffee and cake.Shortly after the funeral service, Lauri’s daughter, Susanne, posted a homage to Lauri on Faceook.A few weeks after the funeral service, Lauri’s family buried his ashes in the common urn grave next to Holme Church.
