• Wild Geese” by Mary OliverOliver’s beloved poem has brought comfort to many mourning the loss of a loved one

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    Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver
    Oliver’s beloved poem has brought comfort to many mourning the loss of a loved one



  • The Painter Who Followed the LightThomas Kinkade celebrates life and portrays death through his art

    The Painter Who Followed the Light
    Thomas Kinkade celebrates life and portrays death through his art

    Growing up, the Thomas Kinkade store in Staten Island Mall served as a landmark to me and my family. Some of my most distinct childhood memories are of roaming those aisles of paintings for hours, while my mom and aunt admired them and struggled to choose their favorite images. These were the days I dreaded…

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  • “Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.”
    – P. J. O’Rourke

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  • How Can a Family Best Work with a Coroner or Medical Examiner? (Interview)A medical examiner shares Information about death investigations

    How Can a Family Best Work with a Coroner or Medical Examiner? (Interview)
    A medical examiner shares Information about death investigations

    Today, SevenPonds speaks with Judy Melinek, M.D., a forensic pathologist who does autopsies for the Alameda County Sheriff Coroner’s Office in California. Dr. Melinek has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is also the author of a New York Times bestselling memoir, “Working Stiff: 262 Bodies…

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  • Our Weekly Tip: Use Exercise to Cope with Sudden LossPhysical activity may help you process emotions and diminish their intensity over time

    Our Weekly Tip: Use Exercise to Cope with Sudden Loss
    Physical activity may help you process emotions and diminish their intensity over time

    Our Tip of the Week: Unexpected loss unleashes a torrent of emotions — shock and disbelief, anger, sadness, guilt, and remorse are just some of the feelings that survivors describe after the sudden death of someone they love. Although all loss is difficult, the intensity of the reaction following a sudden death can feel overwhelming to…

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  • “So Much So Fast”A documentary follows the hopes and struggles of an ALS patient

    “So Much So Fast”
    A documentary follows the hopes and struggles of an ALS patient

    At age 29, master architect Stephen Heywood thought he had decades left to settle down, start a family, and build incredible homes from scratch. But before he had even reached his 30th birthday, Stephen noticed something odd. While working on renovating a house, he found that his hands weren’t functioning properly. He made an appointment with his…

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  • “I believe my house is haunted. Every time I look in my mirror, a crazy old lady stands in front of me so I can’t see my reflection.”-Anonymous

    “I believe my house is haunted. Every time I look in my mirror, a crazy old lady stands in front of me so I can’t see my reflection.”
    -Anonymous

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  • “Der Tod und das Mädchen”Death comforts a young maiden

    “Der Tod und das Mädchen”
    Death comforts a young maiden

    “Der Tod und das Mädchen” (Death and the Maiden) is a gorgeous “lied” composed by Franz Schubert in 1817. The word “lied” is a German term originally used to describe the fusion of poetry and music, or more specifically the practice of German-speaking composers setting Romantic German poems to music. “Der Tod und das Mädchen” is set for voice…

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  • How Your Schnoz may be the Biggest Weapon against the “Post Antibiotic Age”Recent research has uncovered a new tool for fighting infection...in the human nose!

    How Your Schnoz may be the Biggest Weapon against the “Post Antibiotic Age”
    Recent research has uncovered a new tool for fighting infection…in the human nose!

    In today’s digital age, it’s easy to see how too much of anything can be detrimental to our health. Too much television can strain the eyes; too many exposures to loud music can damage hearing; too much texting can lead to arthritic thumbs. But who would have guessed that too much medicine could be a…

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  • Monday Hearts for Madalene
    Page Hodel creates beautiful hearts as an ongoing celebration of love

    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 in love with her.” The couple’s first meeting was…

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