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“Nature” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow puts an interesting spin on the personification of deathYou’ve no doubt caught on to the pun of my column’s title, “The Next Chapter”; how my posts are about literature, thus “chapters,” and also how death is a kind of “next stage” in life. This idea of death as a natural progression has been a big theme throughout many of my pieces, but perhaps…
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Monday Hearts for Madalene
Eleven months, two weeks, and six days after they met and fell madly in love, Page Hodel and her partner Madalene Rodriguez were torn tragically apart when Madalene passed away from ovarian cancer. Throughout their brief but blissful relationship, Page crafted a heart to leave on Madalene’s doorstep each Monday. She wanted to ensure that…
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Interview with Rie Nørregaard of Omhu
Omhu is an innovative company that celebrates good design because “it’s life-enhancing, and it’s fun.” By creating exciting choices for products to support people as they age, the company hopes to also help change the way people feel about aging and ability. Creative Director Rie Nørregaard was kind enough to join us and shed some…
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“Life”
Charlotte Bronte’s poem promotes hope in times of sadnessOne of my favorite books is Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte; but on top of being a talented novelist, Bronte was also quite a skilled poet. My selection for this week is her poem “Life,” which conveys the beautiful message that people can go on despite having experienced grief: LIFE, believe, is not a dreamSo…
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Memorial Jewelry Returns From the Past
As I witness the conversation on death opening up, I also see many new themes emerging. The one that I find most fascinating is a throwback to the late 1800s to early 1900s desire for people to physically carry their loved ones with them, through the age-old concept of memorial jewelry. Back then, it was…
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The Island Crematorium – Rocky Island, Ireland
The Island Crematorium on Rocky Island in Ireland is unique in its fantastic location as well as its modern approach to cremation, memorial, and grieving. The crematorium is designed for religious or non-religious services; it has spiritual as well as communal spaces, plus a refreshments room! Situated on Cork Harbour facing the open Atlantic Ocean,…
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How to Deal with the Loss of a Child? (Interview)
In 2005, photographer Sandy Puc’ co-founded the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation (NILMDTS) with Cheryl Haggard. NILMDTS administers a network of thousands of volunteer photographers around the world who conduct free hospital and hospice portrait sessions of families who have just lost a baby. I spoke with Sandy about the organization and…
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“The Darjeeling Limited”
A film about three brothers navigating grief, estrangement, and the search for emotional closureFrancis (Owen Wilson), Jack (Jason Schwartzman), and Peter (Adrien Brody) Whitman are brothers meeting on a train in India. They have not seen or spoken to each other in a year, since the day of their father’s funeral. When we meet them, Francis’s head is wrapped in thick bandages, Jack is writing an autobiographical story…
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