Honoring Our Dearly Departed
The first funeral I attended was a fairly somber affair in the mid 1980’s. Most people attending wore black or dark colored clothes. The music was quiet in the background. The traditional services at that time consisted of a family viewing of their loved one, a public viewing, and a formal funeral service complete with eulogy, […]
Fairs and Funerals
What A Wonderful World Spending this past weekend living between hellos and goodbyes, fairs and funerals, it became clear what a gift I was given. To witness the hello in goodbye and the goodbye in hello; neither done alone, but rather in community. County fairs are places of great anticipation for fair food, wild rides, prize […]
Thin Places
The early Celtic people believed that certain places had the ability to draw you into the innermost aspects of existence. These Celts, who inhabited the British Isles in pre-Christian times, (500 – 1000 AD) believed that we can mine the depths of our being at these so called “thin places.” Some might think of these occasions […]
Why Some People Don’t Die In Peace – Guest Blog
This is a beautifully written and helpful article that we want to share: Throughout my career as a doctor working with patients in hospitals, nursing homes and hospices I have had the opportunity to witness the dying process on many occasions. I have learned that even though the outcome of this process is always the same—the […]
Finding Beauty at End of Life
“I don’t know how you do what you do.” We hear this all the time. Hospice volunteers are special souls with hearts for this work. Not everyone is able to serve those who are dying, and their families. But you will find many stories full of service, love, and gentle holding of families during transition from […]
Children and Grief – Books to Share
The only deaths I recall being aware of as a child are family pets, and farm animals raised for food. Perhaps living in the country was an early introduction to the reality of death. It was a normal part of everyday living. I was an adult before my life was touched by the death of a […]