The First Christmas After a Loss
The first holiday season without your loved one is difficult. How you’ve celebrated the holidays in the past doesn’t mean it has to be the same this year. Consider creating a new tradition, not to run away from your grief or to forget the person who has died, but to…...
Ways to remember dad on Father’s Day
Father’s Day commercials are everywhere, from Hallmark cards to the latest grill. The holiday can be hard to ignore. For those whose fathers are no longer with them, Father’s Day can stir up mixed emotions, including fond memories as well as grief that he is no longer here....
The Importance of Acknowledging Grief
Blogger Liz Millar recounts that after her dad died, she remembers returning to the office and feeling uncomfortable because some of her closest colleagues didn’t mention what had happened. “My life had altered in the most profoundly sad way, and yet the people I sat next to every day acted…...
Helping a Sister Through Grief – A Sister’s Guide
Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends. So begins author Joan Didion’s memoir “The Year of Magical Thinking” in which she shares what life and grieving was like after her husband, fellow writer John Gregory Dunne, died suddenly…...
5 Things to Say to Someone Who’s Grieving
Though we’re all well acquainted with how to celebrate happy occasions with people, sad ones are more fraught with worry. It’s sad, awkward, and hard to know what to say when someone you know experiences a loss. Whether it’s a friend, coworker, or acquaintance, it’s hard for all of us…...
10 Things You Can Do When Someone You Know Suffers a Loss
After a lifetime of helping families with final arrangements, we can tell you that the most frequent questions we get aren’t about headstones, caskets, memorial services, or burials. When people ask those questions, they really just want to know: “What do I do?” and “What can I say?” The answers…...
How to Write an Obituary: Five Tips
We’ve all read the traditional obituaries packed with the names, places, people, and career highlights that define a person’s life. And while these examples should make it easy to put pen to paper, when we’re called on to write an obituary, they can often complicate an emotionally charged situation. Are…...