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Our Monthly Tip: A Holiday-Inspired Celebration of Life
Make your loved one the star of your holiday gatheringsOur Monthly Tip: Celebrating the life of a person who has died can be difficult when Christmas is around the corner. It becomes important to address the holiday but not overpower the importance of the person being celebrated. With some simple decorations, the celebration of life can be the star. An undecorated tree and some…
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My Father-In-Law Died Surrounded by Love
My chosen work helped facilitate his peace at the end.This is Dana ‘s story as told by Irena Kaci. 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 story, Dana tells the story of…
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Missing the Sound of Your Deceased Loved One’s Voice?
Ornaments, voicemails, and advanced technology can help us to hear them again.No other human can match the expressive nature, tone, and resonance of your loved one’s voice. It is something quite unique to each of us; a personal calling card. So, when someone dies, we often say, “I miss the sound of their voice.” Thanks to the wonders of technology, there are a few innovative ways…
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How to Break the News that Someone Has Died
Tips for sensitively sharing a loved one’s death with others“Where were you when you learned Princess Diana had died?” This seemingly innocuous question, common among those who were highschool-aged or older when the British royal princess died in 1997, points to something significant: When, and how, we break the news that someone has died matters.
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“Sudden”
A poet reflects on sudden lossIf it had been a heart attack, the newspaper might have used the word massive, as if a mountain range had opened inside her, but instead it used the word suddenly, a light coming on in an empty room. The telephone fell from my shoulder, a black parrot repeating something happened, something awful a sunday,…
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What’s Causing the Surge in US Traffic Deaths?
The cause for the rise in traffic deaths may surprise you.As COVID swept America in 2020, it wasn’t the only factor contributing to a rising death toll. Traffic deaths have also risen dramatically in the past three years in the United States. This is a fairly shocking fact considering the steady advances we’ve made in vehicle safety features.
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“The Craft of Dying: The Modern Face of Death”
A book questioning whether a “happy death” is an achievable goal in today’s societyInitially published in 1978, the 40th anniversary edition of “The Craft of Dying” by Lyn H. Lofland remains a relevant resource today. The book is a thoughtful exploration of sociological perspectives on the concept of a happy death or peaceful passings and afterlife. Lofland identifies, critiques, and theorizes a surge of 1970s death social movements…
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“Hallelujah”
A stripped-down ballad speaks of female friendshipIn 2019, Haim, the pop rock band made up of three sisters from California, released the song “Hallelujah.” This acoustic ballad speaks of the loss of a female friend, specifically of the youngest sister, Alana. The Haim song is not a cover of Leonard Cohen’s famous piece, but an original, emotional song that expresses the…
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After Nearly Three Years, Who Is Dying From COVID Now?
A look at how COVID-19 deaths have shifted in recent monthsAs we approach almost three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, it feels both like this virus has haunted us for decades and as if it was just yesterday that shutdowns, masks, and quarantine pods became a part of our reality. There have been over 1.2 million confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. since February 2020,…
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“7 Ways to Create an Amazing Celebration of Life”
