Author Archives: Aurora Wells (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

“Help Me, Helen”

My dying husband's sickness revealed the true strength of our love

This is Helen’s story, as told to writer Aurora Wells. Our “Opening Our Hearts” stories are based on people’s real-life experiences with grief and loss. By sharing these experiences, we hope to help our readers feel less alone in their … Continue reading

Posted in Opening our Hearts | 2 Comments

Letters from the Holocaust

An amazing historical tale of love, endurance, and the meaning of family

This week’s very special Opening our Hearts represents a collaboration between Judy Vasos and Aurora Wells. All material is part of the Rosi Mosbacher-Baczewski private collection — which she had saved for nearly 70 years before passing on to her … Continue reading

Posted in Opening our Hearts | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

What Is Happiness? An Interview with Dr. Laura Delizonna

A clinical psychiatrist talks about finding happiness during life's most trying times

Today SevenPonds is speaking with Dr. Laura Delizonna, a clinical psychiatrist, instructor at Stanford University and happiness coach. The coauthor of several books on the value of mindfulness, Dr. Delizonna is a the founder of  Choosing Happiness,  an ongoing educational project that … Continue reading

Posted in Professional Advice | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What is an Undertaker? An Interview with Patrick McNally

A funeral director gives his unique perspective on end-of-life rituals

Today, SevenPonds is speaking with Patrick McNally, the outspoken and creative  funeral director behind the blog The Daily Undertaker, which explores ritual and art surrounding death and dying. In this first installment of our interview, Patrick reveals his honest insight into the funeral … Continue reading

Posted in Professional Advice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What is the Funeral Consumers Alliance? An Interview with Joshua Slocum

The Funeral Consumers Alliance talks about your rights...

Joshua Slocum is the Executive Director of the Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA), a nonprofit dedicated to education and advocacy surrounding funeral consumer rights. Coming out next month, his groundbreaking (sorry) book Final Rights: Reclaiming the American Way of Death digs deep … Continue reading

Posted in Professional Advice | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

What is Cremation? An Interview with Michael Tom

A crematory operator lets us peek behind the door to answer our questions about the cremation process

Today SevenPonds speaks with Michael Tom at Pacific Interment in Emeryville, California. Pacific Interment is one of the few cremation services in California that offers witnessing. Get the nitty-gritty on cremation from Michael Tom, who oversees cremation at their East Bay crematorium. … Continue reading

Posted in Professional Advice | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment