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Sobonfu Somé Shares Dagara Grief Wisdom with a Smile
African elder and spiritual teacher creates community through griefSobonfu Somé, born in the West African nation of Burkina Faso, says she spoke to the elders in her village before she was born, and her name “Sobonfu” reflects her prenatal intent to be “keeper of the rituals.” When she was 20 years old, without knowing much English, she arrived in the United States to…
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Mark Your Calendars: National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16th
A nationwide initiative to help Americans plan for serious illness and end-of-life careSaturday, April 16, 2016, is National Healthcare Decisions Day, a nationwide initiative to educate and empower the American public to make and communicate decisions about their future healthcare needs. Marked by events at healthcare facilities and public venues across the United States, NHDD’s theme for 2016 is “It Always Seems Too Early, Until It’s Too…
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Eight Myths About the Dying Process
Dispelling eight common myths about dyingWhen dying, the body has a natural wisdom built into it, to protect itself and promote comfort. Just like a body must go through certain stages to prepare to be born, it must also go through certain natural stages to shut down. Understanding and honoring these changes can help lessen fear and avoid actions that…
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Monday Hearts for Madalene
Page Hodel creates the most beautiful hearts in an ongoing celebration of loveRemembering Your Eloquent Words Keeps the Romantic Spark Alive It’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…
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Photographer Tom Philips “Dies” in Over 50 Places Around the World
“The Dead Photos” explores the tangible locality of death“The Dead Photos” is a series of over 50 images taken all over the world in which photo artist Tom Philips has taken self-portraits of himself lying “dead.” Death is a universal, inescapable part of the human experience, yet intimately unique for each person who must take this journey. While the photographs themselves range from spectacular…
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Our Weekly Tip: Use Chinese Sky Lanterns to Memorialize a Loved One
Release miniature hot air balloons to symbolize the release of your loved one’s spiritOur Tip of the Week: The concept of a person’s spirit ascending towards the heavens at the time of death is a common theme in many cultures and religions. It is also a comforting thought for those left behind — the image of a loved one’s soul soaring high above the clouds and entering the…
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“Let’s Talk About Death”
A collection of email exchanges between a Dartmouth professor and a massage therapist explores the subject of mortality“Let’s Talk About Death: Asking The Questions That Profoundly Change The Way We Live and Die” is a powerful collection of frank, beautifully written email exchanges between Dartmouth professor Irene Kacandes and massage therapist and former journalist Steve Gordon exploring the topic of death. The fruitful correspondence between Kacandes and Gordon began on the one…
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“For Good”
A retelling of “The Wizard of Oz” reveals an amazing friendshipA few months after I lost a precious friend to suicide, one of my sisters took me to see a touring production of the Broadway musical “Wicked.” The musical is based on a novel of the same title by Gregory Maguire. In this retelling of “The Wizard of Oz,” Glinda, the Good Witch of the…
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