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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Author Archives: Dana Sitar (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)
Book Review: “A Year to Live” by Stephen Levine
Prepare to die by preparing to live.
“When a journey is in our future, it is never too soon to check out the travel guides and customs, and to learn the language of the world approaching.” – Stephen Levine As the author and his wife face serious … Continue reading
Vermont Passes Aid-in-Dying Legislation
Multi-year campaign pays off for supporters of choice at the end of life
Thank you, Compassion and Choices for sharing this news with us: Today, an important victory for advocates of end-of-life choice. The Vermont legislature passed the Patient Choice and Control at End of Life Act. The bill is similar to Oregon’s … Continue reading
Posted in Something Special
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Are You Flirting with Death?
A humorous take on the pun.
Posted in Laughter is Medicine
Tagged Bizarro Comics, Death, Flirting with Death, Laughter is Medicine, Puns
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In the News: Will Vermont Be the First Legislature to Approve an Aid-in-Dying Bill?
This week they debate a bill similar to Oregon and Washington state ballot initiative laws
Before the Vermont legislature is set to adjourn Saturday, the Senate is still uncertain whether it will pass aid-in-dying legislation, modeled after Oregon’s and Washington state’s Death with Dignity laws approved via ballot initiatives (rather than in legislation). Vermont’s Governor Peter Shumlin … Continue reading
How Do We Respond to Trauma in the Workplace? An Interview with Wilma Bass
If a crisis were to strike your workplace, what would you do?
Wilma Bass is the President of Trauma Outreach Associates, a Bay Area based company that provides crisis recovery services to business and organizations to help them “return to normalcy and productivity” after a trauma — like death, violence, or natural … Continue reading
Posted in Professional Advice
Tagged Crisis, Death, Loss, Mental health, Psychological trauma, Trauma Recovery, Vanessa Watt, Wilma Bass, Workplace Trauma
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Historic Haida Pit Burial
A simple, archaic burial for the commoners of this indigenous society
Despite some unpleasant connotations throughout history, pit burial was once commonplace among the indigenous people of the American northwest coast (modern-day British Columbia). The Haida people, rather than individual burial, would place the remains of people who had died into … Continue reading
Posted in Cultural Perspectives
Tagged Burial, Cultural Perspectives, Death, Death Rituals, Haida, Haida Burial Customs, Haida people, Pit Burial, Totem pole
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FAST Stroke Detection: Resources to Help You Be Prepared
Grab these free resources to help you detect and act if someone is having a stroke.
Do you know this acronym to help you detect the signs of a stroke? Face: Does the face look uneven? Arms: Does one arm drift down? Speech: Does their speech sound slurred or strange? Time: If you detect any of … Continue reading
“He died on Sunday, was buried Wednesday and the following Friday…”
Frank Carson on his uncle's death
“My uncle Jimmy took liver salts twice a day for 40 years. He died on Sunday, was buried Wednesday and the following Friday they had to go to the cemetery to beat his liver to death with a stick.” -Frank … Continue reading
10 Facts About Hospice Care You May Not Know
NHPCO stresses that hospice is about living fully, not preparing for death.
Thank you to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization for sharing these facts with us! Some people have the wrong idea about hospice care. They think that hospice is only about dying and that hospice is the place you go when … Continue reading
“If you really believe that death leads to eternal bliss, then why are you wearing a seatbelt?”
-Doug Stanhope
Image by Denis Dervisevic (Creative Commons)
All Americans Encouraged to Learn about Advance Care Planning on National Healthcare Decisions Day
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization stresses the importance of talking with your loved ones.
Yesterday was Healthcare Decisions Day and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization took the opportunity to stress the importance of people talking frankly about the care they would or would not want if ever faced with a serious medical … Continue reading
Famadihana Death Ritual in Madagascar
Madagascar's Malagasy people connect and celebrate with their ancestors long after death.
The Malagasy people of Madagascar believe that the spirits of people who have died won’t join the world of their ancestors until after the body has completely decomposed. To assist the process, families perform a funerary tradition called Famadihana, “the … Continue reading
Posted in Cultural Perspectives
Tagged Cultural Perspectives, Death, Death Ritual, Famadihana, Madagascar, Malagasy people
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Remembering “Brownie Mary”, an Unexpected Angel to AIDS Patients in San Francisco
Today is the 14th anniversary of the death of the famed medical cannabis activist of the 1980s and '90s.
Today is the 14th anniversary of the death of Mary Jane Rathbun, better known as “Brownie Mary”, a medical cannabis activist and San Francisco General Hospital volunteer. Rathbun became known in the 1980s and ’90s for illegally distributing pot brownies … Continue reading
What is an End of Life Doula? An Interview with Amy Levine
The doula volunteer program in New York City helps lessen loneliness for people with life-limiting illness
Today we talk with Amy Levine, who designs and implements programs and conducts interactive training for healthcare and social service professionals. Her expertise includes designing specialized volunteer programs for hospital-based palliative care services, and she provides consultation to healthcare organizations … Continue reading
Posted in Professional Advice
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What Do You Want ‘Em to Say About You at Your Funeral?
Comedian Jerry Corley jokes about the conversations at his mother's funeral.
Can’t see the video in your browser? Watch it on YouTube.
Book Review: “By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead” by Julie Anne Peters
The sick lit novel at the center of controversy for its handling of teen suicide.
I wish I could tell my parents, “If you want to help me, help me die.” Have you ever felt less beautiful than your peers? Have you ever been bullied? Have you ever felt completely alone with your troubles? Have … Continue reading
Does “Sick Lit” Romanticize Dying for Teens?
The young adult genre deals with sensitive issues like death, illness, and suicide.
“Sick lit”, a sub-genre of literature that features characters who are struggling with physical or mental illness, or coping with issues like suicide or self-mutilation, or loss, has created a bit of a buzz in the media lately. The novels … Continue reading
Posted in Something Special
Tagged Arts, Book, Guardian, Literature, Self-harm, Sick lit, Young-adult fiction
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