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Community Corner

Helping Hands for Life's Pivotal Moments

Suzanne Nelson and Jan Anderson are two Peachtree Corners residents who have the privilege of helping families through their most joyful and their most difficult life experiences.

 

The wonderful joys of a wedding day and the tremendous pain and loss of experiencing the death of a loved one are seemingly opposite ends of a spectrum. To Suzanne Nelson and Jan Anderson, helping families walk through these times is their job description which they take seriously and do with great love and compassion.

These two Peachtree Corners residents are members and employees of a large local church where their job is being in charge of all of the weddings and funerals that take place within those walls. Consequently, for short periods of time these two are intimately involved with many area residents as they walk through these pivotal life experiences. 

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Weddings are very exciting events but at times can become stressful to those closely involved. It’s the goal of Nelson and Anderson to be of as much help possible to the families. Nelson commented that as the wedding coordinators, “We’re here as a reference point and a support. The families need to have someone they can call on. We try to help build unity within the family.”

Anderson said that, “Some people have never been to a wedding. They don’t know the process and they realize that they need some guidance.” That’s what these two ladies like to provide. They said that at the end of the process you hope the families will look back on it and say, “That was great.”

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Nelson says that her favorite part of the wedding is just before the bride enters the sanctuary. She encourages her to stop just inside the door and take time to soak in that moment. She said that, “Our life is made of moments and this is one that you want to observe and remember.”

Funerals, of course are a very different experience for everyone involved. Nelson and Anderson and so sensitive to and respectful of the families. They truely give themselves away. They said that when it comes to funerals, “our personal plans come to a stop for a brief time and we are on call 24/7 to these families in crisis. It’s hard work but good work.”  They love having the opportunity to serve the families through this very difficult life experience.

Nelson commented that she, “Loves meeting with the families during this time. They are vunerable and need help. It’s hard for them to make decisions.” Anderson said that “The families are always very grateful to have someone help them think through the process.” 

In both cases, with weddings and funerals, the women commented that “You feel like you’ve helped people through something very important.” As a summary of what they do, Anderson shared a quote from the book of Romans, “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” and that’s exactly what they do. We’re glad to have them a part of our community here in Peachtree Corners. 

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