Author Archives: Kimberly Lane (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

How to Communicate with a Friend from Beyond the Grave

Friendship will always trump death
Posted in Laughter is Medicine | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments



”Suggestion to persons entering heaven: leave your dog outside. Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and the dog would go in.”

-Mark Twain
Posted in A Rite of Passage | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Embracing Death with the Jain Ritual of Santhara

A look at the spiritually liberating Jain ritual of fasting to death at the end of life

For most of us, learning to embrace death is the most difficult challenge of our lives. We all die, whether we want to or not. Many of us may find out more about ourselves in our final moments than we … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural Perspectives | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What can the Funeral Consumers Alliance do for you? An Interview with Marjorie Bridges

Marjorie Bridges informs us on the many resources that the FCA provides to help plan funeral and memorial services

Today SevenPonds talks with Marjorie Bridges, who has been an active volunteer with Funeral Consumers Alliance of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties for 15 years. A former president of the FCA and its sister non-profit, Funeral Education Foundation, lately she … Continue reading

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

“Knocking on Heaven’s Door” by Katy Butler

A cautionary tale of a loss that teaches us how to take control of our own deaths

What happens after a debilitating stroke or a sudden heart attack snatches away the vitality of an elderly parent, spouse, or friend? How can we make the transition from child to caregiver or from spouse to nurse? What questions should … Continue reading

Posted in Lending Insight | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

“The Show Must Go On” by Queen

A powerful song about strength in the face of death

’s incredible power-ballad, “The Show Must Go On”, radiates the unadulterated strength that bubbles to the surface when one faces a death-sentence in the form of terminal illness. The song itself was released in 1991, just one month before the untimely AIDs-related death … Continue reading

Posted in Expressive Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment