The Blog
Día de los Muertos: Honoring the Dead and the Beauty of Remembering
Día de los Muertos is a Mexican celebration of life and memory Each year from October 31 to November 2, families throughout Mexico and beyond celebrate Día de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead. Though the name may sound somber, the celebration is anything but. It is a time of color,…
How to Accept Death Without Religion: Meaning, Ritual, and Legacy
Finding Meaning Beyond Religion at the End of Life For much of human history, religion has offered the framework for how we understand death — with rituals, promises of an afterlife, and language for mourning. Yet today, nearly one in three adults in the United States identifies as nonreligious, according to the Pew Research Center.…
Planning for Death: When to Start Working with an End-of-Life Doula?
We often spend months—or even years—planning for life’s milestones: weddings, graduations, family reunions, and the trips of a lifetime. We map out itineraries, book flights, compare hotels, and think carefully about who we want by our side. Careful planning ensures that when the day arrives, we can relax and fully enjoy the journey. But when…
How to Cope with Anticipatory Grief
Grief is something we all experience. Most of us associate grief after the death of a loved one, but there’s a different form of grief that often goes overlooked—anticipatory grief. This type of grief occurs before a loss actually occurs, especially when a person is facing the death of someone they care about or when…
A Selection of Books about Death, Dying and Grief
Embarking on the topic of death and dying can be both scary and fascinating. Books can be great guides on this journey, giving us comfort and new perspectives. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the best books about death and dying. From deep thoughts to personal stories, these books help us understand and…
Bringing the Sacred into Death and Dying
There are two life events that we have in common with all beings. Whatever your beliefs may be, each of these events can be defined as sacred or worthy of awe and respect. The first is when a baby comes into this world and takes his or her first breath and cries out. The second…
12 Ways to Practice Self-Care for Grief
After the death of a loved one, grief can be overwhelming, gut-wrenching and draining. The pain we experience can literally bring us to our knees. At other times, grief may numb our emotions and our senses. No matter what your grieving process may be, it is important during these tender times to take the best…
My Journey to Being an End-of-Life Practitioner
After retiring from a 30-year public relations career, old friends often ask me what I’m up to. Without exception, they register surprise when I tell them I have become an end-of-life practitioner (ELP). When I explain to them the role of an ELP, they usually ask me how I can do this work. The simple…
Twelve Green Burial Options to Ponder
For nearly a century, a traditional funeral included a satin-lined wooden coffin, a burial vault, embalming, a funeral, a graveside service, and an after burial gathering. Then, in the 1980s, cremation gained in popularity. Cost of Traditional Burials According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the U.S. median cost of a funeral in 2022…