A Life That Matters by Ben Brophy | W. Uden & Sons Funeral Directors

A Life That Matters

Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant — even your gender & skin colour will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built;
not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

OverView

“A Life That Matters” is a profound and philosophical prose poem that serves as a powerful meditation on legacy. Rather than offering gentle, direct comfort, it provides a stoic and inspiring framework for celebrating a life of substance and character.

If someone has died, Our Family is here to help you.

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Look For Me In Rainbows by Conn Bernard

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Look For Me In Rainbows by Conn Bernard

Time for me to go now, I won’t say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, way up in the sky.
In the morning sunrise when all the world is new,
Just look for me and love me, as you know I loved you.

Time for me to leave you, I won’t say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, high up in the sky.
In the evening sunset, when all the world is through,
Just look for me and love me, and I’ll be close to you.

It won’t be forever, the day will come and then
My loving arms will hold you, when we meet again.

Time for us to part now, we won’t say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, shining in the sky.
Every waking moment, and all your whole life through
Just look for me and love me, as you know I loved you.

Just wish me to be near you,
And I’ll be there with you.

Feel No Guilt in Laughter by Unknown

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Feel No Guilt in Laughter by Unknown

Feel no guilt in laughter, they’d know how much you care.
Feel no sorrow in a smile that they’re not here to share.
You cannot grieve forever; they would not want you to.
They’d hope that you could carry on the way you always do.
So, talk about the good times and the way you showed you cared,
The days you spent together, all the happiness you shared.
Let memories surround you, a word someone may say
Will suddenly recapture a time, an hour, a day,
That brings them back as clearly as though they were still here,
And fills you with the feeling that they are always near.
For if you keep those moments, you will never be apart
And they will live forever locked safely within your heart.

Crossing the Bar by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

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Crossing the Bar by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.

Death Is Nothing At All by Henry Scott Holland

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Death Is Nothing At All by Henry Scott Holland

Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away to the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
That, we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolute unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you.
For an interval.
Somewhere. Very near.
Just around the corner.

All is well.

The Dash by Linda Ellis

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The Dash by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning…to the end

He noted that first came the date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
Know what that little line is worth

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash…
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent YOUR dash?

"We Decided to Use Udens and It was the best decision we ever made"

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"A lot of care, empathy, understanding & support.
I was so impressed"

Watch a video testimonial from Kirsty, for whom we had the honour of conducting her mother’s funeral service.

Rated 5.0
based on 1626 reviews.

"We Decided to Use Udens and It was the best decision we ever made"

Watch a video testimonial from Juliet, for whom we had the honour of conducting her mother’s funeral service.

Rated 5.0
based on 1626 reviews.

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If someone has died, Our Family is here to help you.

Find your nearest office below or request a call back.

orpington

bromley

beckenham

west-wickham

dulwich

biggin-hill

petts-wood

camberwell

sidcup

bexleyheath

eltham

Panayiota K.

We had our mothers funeral at the camberwell branch of W Uden and Sons the best decision we made they are respectful,understanding and have the patience for you to decide exactly what you want they don't push for a quick decision and are there for you from Starr to finish and everything in-between answering all my calls without any problems or attitude I did make a good few calls but that wasn't a problem for them I will be eternal greatful for their hard work to make my mums funeral perfect in every wayThank you Bina , Jack Michael and the whole team at w.uden

Cleo O.

This experience was never going to be good, but Bina was so helpful and supportive. On the day everything went so smoothly and the team was so professional.

James T.

Excellent, efficient and polite...dealt with many aspects of my late mother's funeral.All questions answered, and was most accommodating towards me and family.Thankyou

My H.

We would like to offer our deepest gratitude and appreciation for the care of our late father by the Uden team at the Camberwell office. The team are exceptionally incredible; from the genuine kindness and care shown, the professional execution of a delicate process, the attention to detail, the utmost respect shown from all staff - we will forever be grateful for making Dad's funeral a dignified ceremony. Thank you all so much 🙏🏾

A D

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐I cannot recommend this funeral home highly enough. At an incredibly difficult and emotional time for our family, the care, compassion and professionalism we received were truly outstanding.From the very first conversation, we felt that we were in exceptionally capable and caring hands. Every detail was handled with sensitivity, dignity and genuine kindness. Nothing ever felt rushed or impersonal, and the team went above and beyond to make sure that everything was exactly as we wanted it to be.Their communication throughout was excellent, and they guided us through every step with patience and reassurance, taking an enormous amount of pressure away from us at a time when we really needed it.The funeral itself was beautifully and flawlessly handled. Every detail came together perfectly and, most importantly, our loved one was treated with the utmost dignity and respect throughout.We will always be incredibly grateful for the kindness and support shown to our family. It takes very special people to do this work with such compassion and humanity, and the service we received was exceptional from beginning to end.A heartfelt thank you from our entire family. We could not have asked for better care.

Abigail A.

Definitely a 5 star rating from planning to execution of arrangements. We felt supported and dealt with sensitively. Bina was our first contact and made such an impression on our entire family. Callum was also incredibly amazing on the day of the funeral giving attention to details . Overall an excellent team and first class service.

Abby M.

From our first contact to our last, Uden’s made an incredibly difficult and painful time feel so much easier and more manageable. Everyone was so professional throughout, while also being incredibly kind, compassionate and empathetic during such a difficult time in our lives.Everything ran so smoothly, which took away so much of the stress and worry for our family and allowed us to focus on saying goodbye.A special thank you to Bina, who was always so quick to respond to every question we had. Nothing was ever too much trouble, and her kindness and support meant so much to us.We’d also like to say a huge thank you to Stanley, who was with us on the day. He was so professional, reassuring and helpful, and he made sure the whole day ran as smoothly as possible.We honestly couldn’t have asked for a better service from start to finish. Thank you all so much for making such a heartbreaking time a little easier for us.

Junior F.

From July 11th, when my brother Stivette Fox passed, Uden & Sons Undertakes has been very dignified; understanding and, very professionally with their work regarding my late brother, Stivette.Sincere respect to W. Uden & Sons.From Junior W. Fox.

Faye C.

The words can’t express how grateful we are for the W.Uden team in Southampton way. They made my father in laws last journey so special, it was an incredibly difficult day but they really pulled it all together . We will forever appreciate you all . Thank you for giving him his final ride he honestly would have loved it. I highly recommend W.udens to everyone they’re supportive, compassionate, understanding and know how to sympathise and get yous through these difficult times and they care dearly for our loved ones.

Florence L.

I expressed my heartfelt thanks for the exceptional care, professionalism, and kindness W. Uden & Sons provided for my late son's funeral service. Thank you for the care and support you provided for us.

Melanie H.

Most amazing helpful respectful people when needed the most. Very professional and supportive on the day which made everything run smoothly. They left us with wonderful memories on what was a sad day saying goodbye to our lovely Brenda. We couldn't have chosen anybody better keep doing your remarkable job Uden & SonsThank you

Terry B.

We cannot thank Udens Funeral Directors enough for the care, compassion and professionalism they showed our family following the loss of my wife.From the beginning, Bina was wonderful. Assisted by her colleague, Alfie, Bina guided us through every part of planning and arranging my wife's funeral service and burial with patience, sensitivity and genuine kindness. At an incredibly difficult time, they made sure everything was handled properly and that the service reflected the person my wife was. Most importantly, we always felt that my late wife was being treated with dignity, care and respect.A special thank you also goes to Jack, who brought my wife home to us overnight before the funeral. Having her home with us one final time meant more to our family than I can properly put into words, and Jack handled such a deeply emotional moment with enormous sensitivity and respect.On the day of the funeral, Lee looked after us exceptionally well. His calm, reassuring and professional manner helped carry us through one of the hardest days of our lives. Everything was handled with dignity and without us having to worry about what needed to happen next.What stood out throughout was that we never felt as though we were simply dealing with a funeral company. Bina, Alfie, Jack and Lee treated my late wife as a person and treated us as a family who had lost someone deeply loved.Thank you to everyone at Udens for taking such good care of my wife and for helping us give her the beautiful and dignified farewell she deserved. Our family will always be grateful.

chris C.

Uden's are consistently excellent family funeral directors. They are highly professional, attentive, and well-organised. We have relied on Udens for the funerals of both of my parents and my aunt. They made the event solemn, dignified, and impressive.

Movell D.

Losing mum was very difficult and finding a funeral director who was going to help us give mum the send off she deserved was really important to us. Udens were perfect. From start to finish they gave us a service that was second to none. Unfortunately we have had 2 other family funerals and comparatively, this was by far the best service. Every detail was thought of at every stage. I injured my foot during the funeral and they even provided me with an icepack.Communication was taken very seriously. Every detailed was checked before proceeding to the next stage and everything was thought of in advance. Things that we hadnt considered as a family were thought of by Udens, like taking mums finger print so that we could use it for keepsakes. They ordered ties from Barbados for all of their staff to wear at the funeral. These are the kind of touches that made them stand out.The most important thing for us as a family was that everyone at Udens was so lovely. We really felt happy and comfortable with them and we felt as though they would treat mum as they would have treated one of their own family and thats exactly what they did.Our experience of working with Uden was memorable in the best way and a very difficult time was made so much easier by their thoughtfulness and professionalism. They are a family business and they treat you like part of their family. I would highly recommend choosing them for your familiy's funeral needs.

Joan H.

The service we received was exceptional. Bina, our coordinator, left no stone unturned. Everything we requested was handled with ease. My mother-in-law was dressed as we asked, and all our wishes regarding her were respected.On the actual day, the funeral procession was extremely professional. The team showed empathy, and Lee was very respectful, engaging, and supportive throughout the day. They were outstanding and truly a credit to the firm.Thank you all for a somber yet beautiful day. It couldn’t have gone any better.