Author Archives: Debra L. Stang (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

“Prayers for Bobby” by Russell Mulcahy

A mother's pain leads to greater tolerance for the LGBTQ community

“Prayers for Bobby,” based on the book of the same name, tells the real life story of Bobby Griffith and, more importantly, of the spiritual journey of his mother, Mary Griffith.   At the beginning of “Prayers for Bobby,” Bobby … Continue reading

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“All say how hard it is that we have to die — a strange complaint from the mouths of people who have had to live.”

- Mark Twain
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“What a Wonderful World” Performed by Louis Armstrong

A musical legend raises the spirits of a nation

When you lose someone you love, the whole world changes. Bright colors become dim. Other relationships are no longer as satisfying. The world is less promising. Sometimes music can call your attention back to the things in your life that … Continue reading

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“In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae

A doctor's poem to his dead friend sparks a movement

“In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae was inspired by World War I, which was known sadly and incorrectly as the war to end all wars. On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was assassinated while touring … Continue reading

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“Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don’t know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings.”

- Anais Nin
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“Kuzosu: the Death of a Noble Lady and the Decay of Her Body”

Death and decay can have a positive side

The kusozu are traditional Japanese watercolor paintings that gained popularity between the 13th and 19th centuries. The paintings depict graphic images of death and decay. Kusozu were created in the Buddhist tradition to meditate on the temporary nature of the … Continue reading

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