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The Spirit of The Dead According To Ojibwe Beliefs
Lee Staples, Ojibwe spiritual leader, facilitates traditional funerals on the Mille Lacs and Fond du Lac ReservationsLee Staples, a spiritual leader for the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation in Central Minnesota, says that one must understand Ojibwe beliefs about life in order to understand Ojibwe beliefs about death. “We have within us Anishinaabe spirit, and we just occupy this physical body during that lifetime,” he says. “There is…a reason for us existing…
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Social Media Offers New Ways to Express Grief
Websites like Twitter and Facebook have changed how people deal with the death of a loved oneGrief over the death of a loved one is a very personal experience. Everyone grieves in their own way, and the amount of time required to come to terms with what has happened also varies considerably. With that said, the introduction of social media into popular culture presents people with new ways to express grief.…
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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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Is Palliative Care Right for You?
When cure is not an option, palliative care can improve quality of lifeThe term “palliative care” has gained a lot of traction in the medical community in recent years. Once considered synonymous with comfort care for the dying, it has evolved into a growing medical specialty that focuses on the needs of patients who are living with life-limiting illnesses of any kind. As of 2015, there are…
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What Is a Life-Cycle Celebrant? An Interview With Holly Pruett (Interview)
Holly Pruett helps clients tell their stories through ceremony and ritualToday SevenPonds chats with Holly Pruett, a life-cycle celebrant based out of Portland, Oregon. Holly is a certified Life-Cycle Celebrant through the Celebrant Foundation and Institute. She helps her clients find a way of telling their stories at pivotal times in their lives through ceremony and ritual. Juniper: What drew you to work as a celebrant, particularly…
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Our Weekly Tip: Create a Memorial Table
Put some of your loved one’s things on display to celebrate their lifeOur Tip of the Week: One of the purposes of a funeral service is to recall memories. Some of these memories may be humorous and others serious. Still others will refelct important events in a person’s life, such as becoming an Eagle Scout, getting married or being awarded a Purple Heart. Share mementos of these…
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People with Developmental Disabilities Have Few Options When Caretakers Die
Many states lack the resources to help family caretakersIn the United States, most people who have serious developmental disabilities receive care from their loved ones at home. But when a caretaker dies, they often have no one to care for them. They typically go to an institution, where they may languish for years. The trauma of this experience can be immense for the…
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“The Art of Racing in the Rain”
A novel in which Garth Stein explores the human condition through the eyes of man’s best friendUnderstanding a person’s outlook on death seems easy enough. After all, here at SevenPonds, it is our priority to encourage discussions about the end of life. But have you ever wondered what goes through a dog’s mind when it faces death? American novelist Garth Stein has, and he shares his suspicions in his 2008 book “The…
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