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The Growing Crisis of Unclaimed Bodies
A hidden issue in America’s death care systemAcross the United States, medical examiners, coroners, and funeral directors are seeing a troubling rise in the number of deceased individuals whose bodies go unclaimed. This points to, and results, in a number of problems: Why is this the case? And where do the bodies go? The answers to the first are many, and as…
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“Someone Died, And The Waltz Goes On”
A beautiful composition he wrote 50 years agoA few months ago while on vacation I was driving north and heard an interview with Sir Anthony Hopkins on our local NPR radio station, KQED. I had no idea that, in addition to playing the roles like Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, Sir Anthony Hopkins is also a musical composer. I had the…
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“Broken Halos”
A touching tribute “to people who’ve passed away before their time”The song, “Broken Halos,” co-written by Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson, is the perfect country ballad to listen to when you need a good, cleansing cry. The first single off Stapleton’s second album, “From a Room: Volume 1,” “Broken Halos” seems written with that exact intention in mind, as long as you don’t interpret the…
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This Mountain Sanctuary Is Charting a New Path in Death Care
Center for Conscious Living & Dying completes one year in operationNestled in a 6-acre swath of the Swannanoa Valley in Appalachian North Carolina, the Center for Conscious Living & Dying (CCLD) offers something invaluable for free: community. Powered by nearly 300 volunteers, the center provides end-of-life care in the comfort of a homelike environment. While this is a noble endeavor in itself, what sets this…
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A Chance To Make Memories
After the roller coaster of emotions slows down, there is time to decide how you want to be rememberedIt could be argued that there is no upside to learning that you have a terminal illness. Coming face to face with your own mortality is terrifying and disorienting. And while it’s an experience that each one of us will face at some time in our lives, it’s not one that most us would seek…
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Canada’s Medical Aid in Dying: “I cannot get through a day. It’s physical torture.”
Paula Ritchie’s choice of medical aid in dying to end her life illustrates both sides of the moral and legislative debateThe New York Times recently published the profile of Paula Ritchie, a Canadian woman who elected to take part in the country’s controversial medical assistance in dying (MAID) program. Her life, one plagued by emotional and physical suffering, once again draws the debate over MAID into focus: who has the right to decide when or…
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Our Monthly Tip: A Fresh Floral Wall Offers a Unique Way to Enhance a Celebration of Life Experience
A budget friendly idea that doesn’t look like a budget effortOur Tip of the Month Flowers are a classic element at memorial services, and a unique way to bring their soothing, mood-lifting qualities to a ceremony is by creating a fresh floral design on the blank walls of the venue. It serves as decoration and a floral display all in one. It’s also a beautiful…
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How to Divide Family Heirlooms
My mom’s five tips to a peaceful division of family treasuresIt’s rather expected that every mother has her own set of rules she expects her children to abide by. As far back as I can remember, one of my mother’s top rules was a method she wanted us to use to divide family heirlooms. I would agree it’s not your usual kind of mom rule;…
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Sara Williams Fights for Affordable Funeral Options (Interview)
President of Funeral Consumers Alliance balances weighty end-of-life issues with humor and candorSpend a little time with Sara Williams and you’ll detect an upbeat, even playful spirit, which at first might make her deep, lifelong interest in death a bit of a head-scratcher. She’s president of the nonprofit Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA), a trained home funeral guide and hospice volunteer — and runs a Death Cafe near…
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