Celebration of Life

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Dry eyes were hard to find as Baptist Hospice of the Golden Triangle held their annual Celebration of Life service.

First Baptist Church of Columbus hosted the event with a service and reception. As the ceremony finished, everyone was given a balloon with a blank paper attached. Some wrote prayers and others wrote what they wished they could still say to their passed family members.

Rosalynn Merchant, a singer at today’s service and a registered nurse at Baptist Memorial Hospital, took part in the balloon release after losing her father just over one year ago.

She said, “Maybe, somehow, they can hear it, or see it, or get the message and know that we love them and miss them.”

After the group released the balloons together, some went inside for the reception while many lingered to watch their notes float into the distance.