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“Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep.”
A composer sets the popular bereavement poem to music with hauntingly beautiful resultsSince 1932, when florist and Baltimore-based homemaker Mary Elizabeth Frye wrote “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep,” quite a few musicians have felt compelled to set the poem to music. Frye’s wise, comforting lines have been transformed into choral compositions, pop songs, rock songs and folk songs. Its lines have even been interpolated with…
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Changing the Perspective on Childhood Cancer
September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness MonthThe month of September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time set aside by numerous organizations across the United States to honor the children and families who are touched by this disease. Childhood cancer is a topic about which most of us are blissfully unaware until it touches our lives. We think of it as…
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“Death Sets a Thing Significant”
A poem about cherishing what our loved ones leave behindEven if you’re not a huge fan of poetry, you’ve most likely heard of mid-19th century poet Emily Dickinson. Born in 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts, Dickinson spent most of her life completely isolated from the outside world. Her work was heavily influenced by the metaphysical poets of the 17th century England, as well as her…
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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…
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Performance Artist Uses Power of Ritual to Move Collective Grief
Rebecca Belmore’s performance “Vigil” highlights authentic expression and the power of witnessingWe all have different ideas that spring to mind when we hear the word “ritual.” Some of us immediately see in the mind’s eye the titillating Hollywood version, with dim candle-lit rooms and voices rhythmically reciting words in a language known only to initiates. On the other hand, many of us feel cozily at home…
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Our Weekly Tip: Remember Your Loved One with a Celebration of Life
Use balloons and photographs to honor and remember the person who diedOur Tip of the Week: If you’ve lost someone you admired or cared about, chances are that person had similar feelings towards you. While their death may signify a disheartening time for you, it’s likely that they would still want you to be happy and to remember the good times you shared. Sharing memories brings…
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What is a Doctor’s Role in Advance Care Planning? (Interview)
A medical doctor discusses his passion for palliative and hospice careToday SevenPonds concludes our discussion with Dr. Karl Steinberg, MD. about his two-decade medical practice focusing on palliative and hospice care. (Read Part One here.) Dr. Steinberg is the medical director of three nursing homes and Hospice by the Sea (since 1995). He currently sits on the board of directors at AMDA (American Medical Doctors Association)…
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“Living Life Dying Death: A Guide to Healthy Conversations About Death and Dying to Inspire Life and Living”
A wealth of wonderful advice packed into a little book about living and dying wellLiving in the 21st century leaves little space for reflection about the important matters of life and death. We Americans, in particular, create entire identities around our levels of busyness. We measure our value not by who we are or what we hold dear, but by what — and how much — we do. Against…
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How Quakers Cope with Death
Honoring the dead brings solace to the grievingThe Quaker religion is a form of Christianity founded by George Fox in England around 1650. Six years later, in 1656, two women brought the Quaker religion to the United States. Quakers believe that Christ, and by extension God, lives in each of our souls. They do not believe that we require clergy to bring…
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