Want an Easier Way to Plan a Memorial Event? Get our FREE guide

“7 Ways to Create an Amazing Celebration of Life”

Get the Ebook

SevenPonds / Page 315

  • “Fix You”Beloved anthem by British rock band explores the tender, healing side of grief and loss from a loved one’s perspective

    |

    Ariana Barnes

    “Fix You”
    Beloved anthem by British rock band explores the tender, healing side of grief and loss from a loved one’s perspective

  • California Hospice Fraud Investigation: Authorities Probe Large-Scale ScamMillions of taxpayer dollars have allegedly been lost to fraudulent hospice companies

    California Hospice Fraud Investigation: Authorities Probe Large-Scale Scam
    Millions of taxpayer dollars have allegedly been lost to fraudulent hospice companies

    In California, Congress is currently investigating a significant number of hospice programs that may have committed widespread Medicare fraud, including overbilling and enrolling vulnerable patients without their knowledge. According to a CBS investigation by Laura Geller, Adam Yamaguchi and Rachel Gold, more than 700 of LA County’s hospices triggered red flags for state-defined fraud. According…

    Ariana Barnes

    /

  • Evolution of Obituaries in the Digital AgeAs technology evolves in the digital age, how people share news of their loved ones’ passing also shifts

    Evolution of Obituaries in the Digital Age
    As technology evolves in the digital age, how people share news of their loved ones’ passing also shifts

    Although some people still prefer print obituaries, emergencies like 9/11 and the COVID-19 brought more people to online obituaries and memorial pages. Digital platforms and AI-assisted writing tools have made a significant impact on how people create and share obituaries. Advantages include lower costs, global sharing and tools to support people who either don’t feel…

    Deborah Kelly

    /

  • Opt-In vs. Opt-Out Organ Donation: Which System Saves More Lives?Questions of consent diminish the effectiveness of many opt-out organ donation systems, dashing earlier hopes of increasing organ donation statistics

    Opt-In vs. Opt-Out Organ Donation: Which System Saves More Lives?
    Questions of consent diminish the effectiveness of many opt-out organ donation systems, dashing earlier hopes of increasing organ donation statistics

    A single person can save eight lives through organ donation and can save or improve up to 100 lives by donating tissue, according to the Health Policy Partnership. But worldwide, organ donation faces persistent challenges.  The Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation reported that in 2023 around 45,000 organs were donated from deceased donors, and…

    Caitlin Manner

    /

  • My Mother’s ClosetA daughter relates a touching story about her grief after the death of her mother

    My Mother’s Closet
    A daughter relates a touching story about her grief after the death of her mother

    This is the story of Melissa as told by her. Our “Opening Our Hearts” stories are based on people’s real-life experiences. By sharing these experiences publicly, we hope to help our readers feel less alone in their grief and, ultimately, to aid them in their healing process. In this post, Melissa tells the story of…

    Melissa Gouty

    /

  • What Does It Mean to Be Terminally Ill?A new perspective on terminal illness

    What Does It Mean to Be Terminally Ill?
    A new perspective on terminal illness

    From the moment we are born until we close our eyes for the last time, we walk hand in hand with death. Because we are human, we deny this truth as a matter of course, living our lives as if dying is something that only happens to someone else. We weave stories about the future…

    Kathleen Clohessy

    /

  • “The Ghost of You”Rock band’s song about loss explores the darker innermost thoughts during grief

    “The Ghost of You”
    Rock band’s song about loss explores the darker innermost thoughts during grief

    My Chemical Romance is an American emo rock band known for punchy guitar riffs and darker narrative themes that many mainstream artists rarely touch. While there is no shortage of songs by the band that focus on loss, death and grief, one of the most powerful ones, “The Ghost of You,” comes from one of…

    Ariana Barnes

    /

  • ‘Hamnet’A film about the loss of William Shakespeare’s son shows how differently couples can grieve

    ‘Hamnet’
    A film about the loss of William Shakespeare’s son shows how differently couples can grieve

    While many films feature death and grief, they don’t always seem to fully understand the concepts. Filmmaking often simplifies and embellishes such subjects, but the 2025 film “Hamnet” by Chloé Zhao dives into the rawest and most honest depictions of a couple’s grief. Based on the historical fiction novel of the same name by Maggie…

    Ariana Barnes

    /

  • “Helen’s Birds”A wordless graphic novel about an intergenerational friendship and a young girl’s experience with loss and grief

    “Helen’s Birds”
    A wordless graphic novel about an intergenerational friendship and a young girl’s experience with loss and grief

    During the grief journey, words sometimes seem like too much. Conversely, they might feel like they’re not quite enough to grasp the emotions of love and loss. Viewing loss through artistic storytelling offers a different perspective. Drawn by Sophie Casson and written by Sara Cassidy, “Helen’s Birds” follows Saanvi’s friendship with her elderly neighbor, Helen.…

    Deborah Kelly

    /

  • Can You Be Buried With Your Pet?How whole-family cemeteries make it possible

    Can You Be Buried With Your Pet?
    How whole-family cemeteries make it possible

    Despite the fact that many Americans consider their pets to be valued members of their family, it is not a common practice for humans and pets to be buried together. Because cemeteries in the U.S. are generally regulated by laws which vary from state to state, those seeking to share their final resting place with…

    Caitlin Manner

    /