”If you die having had one really good friend, you’ve led a rich life.”WELCOME TO OUR BLOG
Welcome to the SevenPonds.com blog – a community-driven extension of SevenPonds.com! I hope you find comfort and community in the resources and stories featured here. I’m always happy to hear from readers and can be reached at suzette@sevenponds.com.
FEATURED
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10 Facts About Hospice Care You May Not Know" />
10 Facts About Hospice Care You May Not Know: NHPCO stresses that hospice is about living fully, not preparing for death. -
Man of Many Faces" />
Man of Many Faces: A niece says goodbye to her favorite gay uncle, in whom she confided about her own sexuality -
Last Rites: A Catholic Send-Off" />
Last Rites: A Catholic Send-Off: A look at the religion's final prayer procession for the dying
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Monthly Archives: May 2012
Have Fun with Life!
Finding freedom from loss and fear
This is the story of Francisco, “Frandu”, as told by Dana Sitar. I was out of my house, lost my family and my wife of twenty years. And the doctor had just informed me that I have about six years … Continue reading
Aging Alone in America
New News, Good News, and Not So Good News about contemporary trends in the lives of the elderly
In a new report to the Council on Contemporary Families for Older Americans Month, New York University researchers Eric Klinenberg, Stacy Torres, and Elena Portacolone report on the unprecedented movement of the elderly toward solo living. Here are the facts from the press … Continue reading
Two Days of American Commemoration
Yesterday San Francisco celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge and today on Memorial Day, we honor our men and women who died serving the U.S.
Fireworks in iPhone were closer than they appear. Yesterday the Bay Area celebrated the 75th birthday of the Golden Gate Bridge with a most spectacular display of fireworks. Typically a foggy time of year, San Francisco was blessed with a … Continue reading
Posted in Something Special
Tagged Golden Gate Bridge, Memorial Day, Memorial Poppies, Veterans
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Conveying Grief Realistically
W.H. Auden's "Funeral Blues" is despondent, but genuine
Though it came out in 1994, I watched Four Weddings and a Funeral for the first time last year. The movie is known for its two Academy Award nominations (Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay), and for launching Hugh Grant’s … Continue reading
A Coffin Design that Facilitates a Family’s Right to Say Goodbye
The Disaster Coffin replaces the body bag and allows families to perform funeral rites
Hungarian designer Adam Miklosi has created a brilliant design that finds the ultimate balance between aesthetics and function. His LR16 Disaster Coffin addresses the need for a mass-production casket that allows for the facilitation of dignified funeral rituals. Traditionally, in … Continue reading
Posted in Soulful Expressions
Tagged Art, Burial, Coffin, Death, Design, Family, Funeral, Funeral Rites, Natural burial
4 Comments
A Lovely Book of Funeral Poems For a Memorial Service
Consider a copy of Poems and Readings for Funerals and Memorials for your personalized celebration
There still remains a surprisingly limited selection of books offering readings for a memorial service or celebration. As more people opt each year to create their own personalized celebration in memory of a lost loved one, the need continues to … Continue reading
Posted in Lending Insight
Tagged Bob Dylan Funeral Poem, Death is Not the End By Bob Dylan, Eulogies, Funeral Lyrics, Funeral Poems, Funeral Prayers, Funeral Readings, Funeral Sayings, John F. Kennedy Memorial, Memorial lyrics, Memorial Poems, Memorial Prayers, Memorial Readings, Memorial Sayings, Rosa Parks Eulogy By Oprah Winfrey
2 Comments
Traditional Chinese Burial Customs
How ancient beliefs continue to inspire Chinese funeral rites
There are many interesting aspects of traditional Chinese funeral practices, but because there is so much to discuss, in this post I’m going to focus solely on the burial component. This is something that is taken very seriously in Chinese … Continue reading
Posted in Cultural Perspectives
Tagged Bahá'í Faith, Chinese burial customs, Chinese funeral rites, Death
2 Comments
‘When I Die: Lessons from the Death Zone’ by Philip Gould [Video]
An intimate portrait of a man in his final days
“In six weeks’ time I will be dead. I will be cremated. I will face huge fear,” Philip Gould opens this video in his final weeks before losing the battle to esophageal cancer. “But it IS an extraordinary experience…” he continues. … Continue reading
Posted in Something Special
Tagged Art, Esophageal cancer, Philip Gould, terminal illness, Video
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Getting Blindsided by Grief
Tomas Transtromer manages to convey all-consuming emotions in a concise poem
My search for a poem for this week was very short; as soon as I happened upon “After a Death,” by Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer, I knew I was hooked. The poem is short (and translated into English, by Robert … Continue reading
SevenPonds Helps You Shop Funeral Services
Four tips to guide your decisions when selecting cremation services
Are the details of shopping funeral services a mystery? Today I present four tips to help you sort through your options and make better-informed decisions when shopping funeral providers for cremation services: 1 What if I only want to purchase … Continue reading
Japan’s Hotel for the Dead
Lastel addresses overcrowding in crematoriums and offers families a place to pay their respects
With the cremation rate in Japan at almost one hundred percent and the country’s death rate on the rise, it’s no surprise that the country faces the challenge of overcrowded crematoriums. In response, Yokohama-based Hisayoshi Teramura has opened Lastel, a “hotel” … Continue reading
What is Reiki? An Interview with Michelle Wallace
How Reiki and Qigong can help soothe and heal both the grieving and the chronically ill
Michelle Wallace has been teaching Pilates since 2004 and also offers Reiki and Qigong sessions. She holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Kelly: First of all, could you tell us a … Continue reading
Posted in Professional Advice
Tagged Grief, Healing, Michelle Wallace, Qigong, Reiki
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Book Review: Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Redefining what it means to be strong mentally and physically in the face of loss
A few weeks ago, I was very pleased to find a book had magically downloaded on my Kindle. I forgot I’d preordered it months ago after reading Cheryl Strayed’s essay, “The Love of My Life.” After her mother died suddenly … Continue reading
“Queen of Disco” Donna Summer is Dead
A generation that “loves to love you baby” bids her farewell
American singer and songwriter Donna Summer, a.k.a. LaDonna Adrian Gaines, died today in Florida. The cause of death was cancer; she had been battling both lung and breast cancer. There has been speculation that particles from the 9/11 attacks were … Continue reading
Posted in Just Passed
Tagged Celebrity Death, Donna Summer Death, Famous Celebrity Deaths
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Slowing Down to Reflect
The importance of meditating on life during the later years
This is the story of Mary Lynne, as told by Kelly Larsen My mother was 94 when she had a stroke. Prior to that her life was full: she had something planned daily, she walked fast; she was a busy … Continue reading
Taking Control of the End-of-Life
Advance care directives help you express your wishes now so they can be honored when the time comes
In her latest release Never Say Die: The Myth and Marketing of the New Old Age, Susan Jacoby offers a critique of the “new old age” — the belief that the baby boom generation just beginning to turn 65 can … Continue reading
From a Mother’s Point of View
Robert Burns's poem conveys a mother's perspective on the loss of her son
Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and whether you were fortunate enough to get to spend time with yours or were perhaps laying flowers on her grave, I hope you took the time to appreciate her somehow. While SevenPonds paid tribute to … Continue reading
Posted in The Next Chapter
Tagged A Mother's Lament, Death, Loss, Mother's Day, Robert Burns
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