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Author Tom Robbins Lived a Life of “Enchantment”
Tom Robbins, one of the leading cult novelists of the 1960s who died recently at age 92, practiced what he preached to live a long, happy life.Tom Robbins, one of the leading cult novelists of the 1960s, had strong convictions about living life fully while not taking it too seriously. And since the man lived to age 92, dying earlier this month at his longtime home in La Conner, Washington, it’s worth revisiting some of his assertions about the secrets of…
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Some Fathers Golf, Mine Painted Nudes
A woman reveals how her father’s sexual preoccupation impacted her life, yet taught her to accept loving someone despite their faults.This is the story of Alice as told by Elizabeth. 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, Alice tells the story of…
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A Unique Way to Mourn: Photo Shoots with Cardboard Cutouts
The therapeutic company of life-sized cardboard cutouts of dead loved onesJinna Yang and her father’s cardboard cutout at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. Credit: Jinna Yang / Project Inspo
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“All The Ways Our Dead Still Speak”
In this book, a sixth-generation funeral director reconciles his family’s past with his presentThe provocative title of Caleb Wilde’s observations on the way the dead remain present in our lives sets up the reader for a potentially spooky tale about ghostly apparitions whispering in the dark. But while there are a few sightings of the departed in this book, “All the Ways Our Dead Still Speak” is about…
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U.S. Presidents’ Duties Include Planning Their Own Funerals
Each places personal touches on centuries-old traditionsThe Joint Task Departure Force loads the casket of President George H.W. Bush. Credit: Airman Michael S. Murphy
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“Soul With Me”
Lead singer Martin Gore takes listeners on an upbeat journey to the other sideIt’s rare to find a song in which the protagonist not only faces death head-on but greets the experience with open arms, blissfully describing an ethereal ascent to a heavenly realm, which is the case with “Soul With Me” by Depeche Mode. The song appears on the venerable band’s 2023 album “Memento Mori,” an end-of-life…
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Our Monthly Tip: Make A Keepsake Pin to Honor Your Loved One
A meaningful memorial favor for guests to wear during a serviceOur Tip of the Month Bring your loved one’s presence to the celebration of life by having their image on a keepsake pin that also includes words they might have spoken, dates or other information. These make for meaningful memorial favors to pass out to guests. How-To Suggestions Select the elements: Choose a special image…
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Is “The Widower Effect” True?
Four years ago I went through a completely unexpected shock induced by the separation from my husband after 20 years of marriage. For me, the circumstances of how it happened played as a virtual spousal death, including all the intermingled phases of death, initially kicked off by the expected denial. It was an out-of-body, full…
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Death Culture in America is Demonstrably Changing
Funeral practices and cultural expectations have been gradually changing, showing signs of greater acceptance and different prioritiesHow people choose to honor the rites and rituals surrounding death can be a helpful metric in measuring cultural attitudes towards the subject. In recent years, it has become apparent that cultural norms and new technologies have been slowly changing American’s relationship with death, as shown by the development of innovative funeral practices and a…
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