Author Archives: Marissa Abruzzini (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

“Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion” by Sam Harris

A collection of philosophies on life and death

  Religion plays a role in nearly every society around the world, answering many questions, including the ever-present, “What happens after death?” This is why atheists and agnostics often feel as though they’re left out of the conversation, isolated in their … Continue reading

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“What did it matter if he existed for two or for twenty years? Happiness was the fact that he had existed.”

- Albert Camus
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“Grace” by Jeff Buckley

A stunning funeral song that celebrates both life and death

Like many of Jeff Buckley’s songs, “Grace” has taken on new meaning almost 20 years after the singer’s death. Buckley dives into an interesting paradox in the song: Life feels short and fragile, yet it also moves at a molasses-like pace. … Continue reading

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“My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.”

- Ed Furgol
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Suicidal Doctors: What Happens When Caretakers Need Help Themselves

In the wake of doctors committing suicide, hospitals focus on healing the healers

It’s easy to forget that doctors and nurses are people too. Like their ill patients, they get tired; they get hungry; they get frustrated; and they get discouraged. Working so closely with illness and death is a draining experience for … Continue reading

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The Tanatorium Sheds Literal Sunlight on Grieving Families

An architect builds a space for families to remember loved ones in peace

When you think of a death-centered art project, you probably don’t picture a massive concrete building. Yet this is exactly what architect Juan Carlos Salas created when he designed a unique tanatorium (literally “mortuary”) located on the outskirts of Zaragoza, Spain. On the … Continue reading

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