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“The Thing About Life is That One Day You’ll Be Dead”
An author explores the meaning of life and death through dataAt 97 years old, David Shields’ father was still a firecracker with a fierce sense of optimism. Shields simply couldn’t explain how a man of that age could retain such vigor for life, and he was determined to figure out his father’s secret. What followed is “The Thing About Life is That One Day You’ll…
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Customs for Mourning in the Muslim Community
How to help an Islamic friend who is grievingWe live in an increasingly multicultural society. At some point, you will probably have a loved one, friend, or co-worker of the Muslim faith who loses a loved one to death. Knowing Muslim mourning customs can help you be more sensitive and supportive. Among the followers of Islam, mourning actually begins near the time of…
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From Wedding to Hospice
One woman rethinks used wedding bouquetsWedding bouquets are intricate and stunning, but when the ceremony is over, most of the flowers either wind up in a trash bin, or they’re left to wilt on someone’s kitchen counter for weeks. Floral designer Shawn Chamberlain wants to change this. She’s using donated flowers from weddings to craft entirely new bouquets to give to…
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Monday Hearts for Madalene
Page Hodel creates the most beautiful hearts in an ongoing celebration of loveMy Love for You Goes Around and Around! 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…
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Death in Hospice, as Told through the Eyes of a Poet and an Artist
Artist Nari Ward reflects on Carol Muske-Dukes’ death poetryIt’s not often that we get to see two artists collaborate on a single subject, especially artists that come from entirely different disciplines. Carol Muske-Dukes is the former poet-laureate of California, whose work touches on women’s experiences and the value of human life. By contrast, Nari Ward is a multimedia artist who uses found objects as…
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Our Weekly Tip: Understanding the Role of Executor of a Will
The executor’s roles and responsibilitiesOur Tip of the Week: A will is a personal statement clarifying your intentions about the distribution of your assets after your death. A will contains instructions for the executor of your will, who has the legal responsibility of administering your estate. If you die without a will, a court-appointed executor will assume responsibility for the estate. How-to…
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What is Public Death Education? (Interview)
Australian psychotherapist, author and the founder of Living and Dying Well Counselling Centre is shifting cultural paradigms of dyingToday, SevenPonds speaks with Lea Rose, a clinical counselor and psychotherapist with over two decades of experience. She is the founder of the Living and Dying Well Counselling Centre in Melbourne, Australia, and the author of the book “Let’s Talk About It!: Finding Peace with Death and Dying in Everyday Life.” Juniper: Your two-decade career as…
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“There Are Two Kinds of Terrible”
A novel following a 12-year-old boy who, after losing his mother, struggles to connect with his fatherPeggy Mann wrote “There Are Two Kinds of Terrible,” a book about a child who loses his mother to cancer, in 1977. Much of the technology and hospital policies have changed since the book was released, but the feelings of a 12-year-old boy who has lost his mother are spot on. Overall, Robbie Farley thinks…
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