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“For the Love of Spock”
A documentary film in which a son explores the life and death of his famous father, Leonard NimoyAdam Limoy’s moving documentary about his father, actor Leonard Nimoy, is as much about Adam as it is about Leonard. And this is by no means a bad thing. It offers the audience a rare glimpse into the lesser-known, messier aspects of Leonard Nimoy’s life. It reminds us that the man underneath the Vulcan makeup…
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Presence Is the Best Gift for a Loved One in a Nursing Home
The most thoughtful gift for someone who is separated from their old life is your timeWe all know, whether we acknowledge it or not, that nursing homes are depressing places. No matter what they call themselves; no matter how nicely decorated and well-staffed they are, they are little more than repositories for the elderly and infirm. Some, of course, are more hospitable than others. But they are all, as Howard…
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“The Living Years”
Song reminds us to reconcile with our parents while they’re still aliveThe Living Years by Mike & The Mechanics is as potent a reminder as any to make peace with our parents while we still have the benefit of connecting in the embodied world. The singer expresses regret at not having made peace with his father before he died. This topic is made all the more…
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Grief and the Special Needs Child
Being a special needs parent involves lossIn his book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” Rabbi Harold Kushner speaks eloquently about celebrating the birthday of his son, who was born with progeria, a disease that causes rapid and fatal aging. On the one hand, he was delighted to have his precious special needs child with him for another year. On…
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“Remnant”
Allowing the storm to transform understandings of self and world“Remnant” by Jean L. Kreiling challenges our desire to go back to the way things were. We all wish for that at some point or another, being tugged out of our comfort zone by life’s insistent and dynamic flux. And we might believe, with varying degrees of certainty, that that return is possible. Of course…
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Monday Hearts for Madalene
Page Hodel creates beautiful hearts as an ongoing celebration of loveIt’s an honor for SevenPonds to share with our readers the story of the Monday Hearts for Madalene project, a true account of the power of love in the midst of death.The project’s origins take us to 2005: the moment Page Hodel encountered Madalene Rodriguez and fell “instantly, dizzyingly in love with her.” The couple’s first meeting was electric,…
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“Festival of Death and Dying” Builds Attendees’ “mortality muscles”
New festival aims to shift the way we think about mortalityWhat comes to mind when you think about the words “festival” and “death”? Peter Banki, an associate member of the Philosophy Research Initiative at the University of Western Sydney, hopes you will get curious, and a little excited. Banki is the creator and director of the Festival of Death and Dying, which recently enjoyed a successful…
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Psilocybin Study Promises Relief for Cancer-related Anxiety
Two small studies show the now-illegal hallucinogen provides long-term relief of psychological distressFor people living with cancer, anxiety and depression are often a fact of life. Simply knowing that they have a potentially life-limiting disease is a difficult burden to bear. Then the side effects of treatment often leave them too sick and exhausted to cope effectively with their fears. As a result, some patients become overwhelmed…
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“At the End of Life: True Stories of How We Die”
An enlightening book takes us into the hearts of people touched by deathLee Gutkind’s “At the End of Life: True Stories of How We Die” is not an an easy read. True stories about death and suffering rarely are. Nor is it what most of us would think of as an entertaining book. A compilation of essays about death and loss cannot accurately be called entertainment, I…
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