Funeral Director Amy Firth Helps Us Turn Death Into a Beautiful Moment Full of Personal Touches, Holding Grief and Gratitude at Once (Ep. 41)

💐 Episode Summary Meet funeral director and interfaith minister Amy Firth, who’s here to make talking about death feel a little less scary. And wholly more human, gentle, and truly loving. Amy and Dinah explore how to talk with children about death and loss, what it means to truly plan a meaningful funeral that is representative of the person who has gone, and make room for both grief and joy every single day. Along the way, Amy shares the songs she’s chosen for her own farewell and not just the music but exactly how the ceremony and rituals will be conducted. You’ll hear some amazing music from Sarah Blasko, Florence + The Machine, and a gorgeous Sikh Shabad chant. Plus so much more. Settle in with a cup of something steaming and drink in this gorgeous episode.

💿 Songs Mentioned “Dhan Dhan Ram Das Gur - Miracles” by Snatam Kaur

“We Won’t Run” by Sarah Blasko

“One Body” by Alexandra Blakely

“Hope&Time&Love” by Amy Firth

“You and Me On The Rock (feat. Lucius)” by Brandi Carlile, Lucius

“Still Holding My Hand” by The Cast of Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical

“Fall Into My Arms” by Ngaiire

“Up To The Mountains (MLK Song)” by Patty Griffin

“From Me To You” by Ane Brun

“You’ve Got The Love” by Florence + The Machine

“SUMMER RENAISSANCE” by Beyoncé

You can listen to Amy’s playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1IUciMYiEws0PIwgLGohbV?si=FyrSBYNnS5i_ndQXdLEAmQ&nd=1&dlsi=7301445cb6fb4a55

Amy’s guide “A Parent’s Guide to Talking About Death”: https://www.amyfirth.com/blog-builder/talking-to-children

🎙 About the Guest

Amy Firth is an interfaith minister, funeral director and ceremony designer based on Dharug and Gundungurra Country in the Blue Mountains, Australia. For the last decade, she's helped families reclaim funerals as an experience they create together rather than a formality they outsource, a philosophy shaped by an arts career in theatre & music before her own poignant bereavements led her into death care. She hosts the monthly Blue Mountains Death Café, runs creative Grief In Motion workshops, founded The Visible Death Worker, a global community for those bringing heart to death, dying, ceremony and grief, and shares death literacy and ceremony inspiration with 75k+ people across social media. 🙏🏽 Thank You to Our Supporters TremFit — Kara Tremel’s boutique online training experience helping every body feel strong, confident, and cared for.Second Home First — The hit podcast rethinking homeownership and wealth-building. What if your 401(k) came with a fire pit and a lake view? 🌹 About Play This At My Funeral Play This At My Funeral is a deeply fun, slightly macabre, always heartwarming podcast about the songs that shape our lives — including the ones we’d play at our funerals. Each episode, Dinah invites a guest to curate their hypothetical send-off playlist and share the stories behind the music. Think Desert Island Discs meets Films To Be Buried With — with more vibes and fewer survival scenarios. Created and hosted by Dinah Susan Alobeid. Edited and co-produced by Jesse Mendelson. 💜 Stay ConnectedSubscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, leave a 5-star review, and share with someone building their own “funeral playlist.”

Follow on IG @PlayThisAtMyFuneralPodcast, TikTok @PlayThisAtMyFuneralPod, and Dinah @DinahSusanAlobeidWrites. Watch the full video episodes on YouTube and join Dinah’s Substack community, Write, Dance, Repeat. 🎙 About the Host Dinah Susan Alobeid is a writer, dancer, and VP of Communications & Content. Her writing appears in Porter House Review, Five on the Fifth, Reverie Literary Magazine, Spectrum Magazine, and more. She lives in New Jersey with her partner and their rambunctious toddler. I hearby declare that I do not own the rights to any music or lyrics played during the recording of this podcast. All rights to the music and audio belong to their respective owner(s).