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Beating Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Father and Daughter’s Strength
Why father Mark Cox photographed his daughter’s battle against lymphocytic leukemiaThis Father’s Day, we look to the courageous and creative efforts of one dad: Mark Cox. In 2010, Cox’s family discovered that their 11-year-old daughter, Sarah, had acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). The years to follow would be tumultuous, challenging and surprising — filled not only with pain but also with strength and grace. With a…
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How Can Art Therapy Benefit Someone Dealing with Loss and Grief? (Interview)
Melissa J. Hedlund from The Light of the Heart discusses her unique approach to art therapy, what inspired her to start the organization and the benefits of art therapy for loss and griefToday SevenPonds speaks with Melissa J. Hedlund, MCAT, ATR-BC, LCPC, an artist, art therapist and social justice community organizer. Currently based in Aurora, Illinois, she is the executive director and co-founder of The Light of The Heart, a community art therapy project. She holds a BA in Psychology, BS in Biological Sciences with an Emphasis…
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”A Will For The Woods“
The film explores the growing natural or green burial movementThe film A Will For The Woods answers one of the most asked questions I get — just what is green burial? (For the answer, see links at the end of this post). Few are familiar with this age-old concept currently being revived in the US and abroad. Although it’s been an ongoing tradition for…
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Sometimes Being Silly With A Friend Is The Best Therapy
Certainly one way to look a terminal illness square in the face – pun intended!Some of my favorites from the past: “I want to die like my father, peacefully in his sleep, not screaming and terrified, like his passengers.” Meanwhile, in Heaven…Steve Jobs (1955-2011) Or read our full selection from the past here.
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Guatemalan Funeral Traditions
A look into traditional Guatemalan beliefs about death and funeralsGuatemalans follow many traditional Catholic customs regarding death and funerals. When a person dies, there is a sense of urgency to prepare and bury the body. Shortly after a death, someone arrives to prepare for a burial by bathing and dressing the recently lost. Most Guatemalans select and purchase wooden coffins as their resting places…
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Kicking The Bucket: A Festival of Living and Dying
A two-week festival in Oxford contributes to the end-of-life conversation with a casual, refreshing celebrationAt SevenPonds, we strive to open the conversation on death and dying—and we wholeheartedly support others who do the same. After all, we are just a part of a growing global community. This fall, Oxford-based Westmill Woodland Burial Ground is hosting their annual Kicking the Bucket: A Festival of Living and Dying in venues scattered…
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Today Is Not Just Any Old Day; It’s One of My Big Birthday Milestones
So I’m celebrating with champagne and my favorite quotes on lifeYup today is June 9th, my birthday, and it’s the first birthday I have ever taken seriously. Am I officially old? Am I taking age too seriously? Perhaps, but what it does come down to is three important thoughts: #1 How am I celebrating? What better way than with a glass of champagne! Believe it…
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Monday Hearts for Madalene
Page Hodel creates the most beautiful hearts in an ongoing celebration of loveHappy Father’s Day! 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…
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