Sky Lanterns in Times of Need
Sky Lanterns have come to be associated with times of joy, celebration and festivity. Rightly so. They create a dazzling display and are highly theatrical and dramatic, so it’s no wonder they have become such popular party accessories. But, a single sky lantern can also be a wonderful way of commemorating the passing of a loved one.
Loss is something every person, young and old, has to face at some point in their lives. It is part of the human condition to have to experience that sort of pain and trauma, just as it is written into our makeup that we should feel love and hunger. It is often very difficult to digest death, and many struggle to understand the finality of it, and its strange and overwhelming enigma. People also have very different ways of coping with it, some block it out, others immerse themselves in their grief, others experience delayed grief, and find themselves mourning many years later (for more information about grieving a loss, follow the link).
All this seems a terribly morbid and sombre topic for a blog post, but there is a point to it. Though I wouldn’t for a minute suggest that sky lanterns, or wish lanterns, make death more bearable, they do however bring people together, and afford them the space and time to quietly contemplate their pain.
Releasing a single sky lantern after a memorial service or funeral, really is a wonderful way of paying tribute to a life that has been lost, and furthermore, it is the physical representation of an emotional release. It is as though you are letting go a small part of your grief, or a small part of the person you are mourning, as you let the lantern go. This cleansing effect is, after all, part of the sky lantern’s history.
A sky lantern will not cut grief short, but it will offer an opportunity to face it head on and to begin- very slowly and very surely- to come to terms with it, and to-in a very small way- let it go.
If you have used Sky lanterns or Wish lanterns in a time of great pain or distress, do feel free to share your experiences with us by submitting your comments.
