“As Tears Go By” by Marianne Faithfull

How a poignant song gained gravitas through the artist's life experiences
Posted on March 24, 2025 by Caitlin Manner (Blog Writer) SevenPonds
Album cover for a record with a grainy photo of a woman, Marianne Faithfull looking directly into the lens of the camera, leaning her head to the side. She has light brown hair cut shoulder length with bangs, in the style popular in the 1960s.

Marianne Faithfull’s Studio Album Cover

Marianne Faithfull, the English singer, actress and 1960s “It” Girl, died in January at the age of 78. She was perhaps most famous for her UK 1964 hit single “As Tears Go By,” a melancholy song that contemplates the passage of time. She also famously dated Mick Jagger, had memorable roles in several films and authored three memoirs.

Her recent death has sparked a wave of retrospectives from music critics and people who knew and loved her, reflecting on her troubled life and how it affected her music career.

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Wise Words From an Olympic Gold Medalist

Blossoming in a heart-shaped bit of green
Posted on March 23, 2025 by JamieAGold

grief, love, death, life

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Posted in A Rite of Passage | Leave a comment

“The Sea” by John Banville

An astounding representation of the grieving mind
Posted on March 22, 2025 by S. Preston Duncan (Blog Writer), SevenPonds

Cover of The Sea by John BanvilleJohn Banville’s 2005 novel “The Sea” is not an easy read. Not emotionally. Not mentally. But, like grief itself, it is best approached with the right tools and an openness to fully experiencing it. In the case of this brilliantly weighty novel, one of those tools is probably a dictionary (having dictionary.com open on your phone will do).

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Posted in Lending Insight | Leave a comment

Funeral Favors Offer Visitors a Tangible Memento

Printed or engraved items allow for a personal touch
Posted on March 20, 2025 by Michelle Raybeck (Blog Writer) SevenPonds

 

Old-fashioned silver keys lined up on a wooden shelf with printed keychains dangling.

Printed or engraved keychains make a useful and attractive funeral favor.

Immediate family members aren’t the only ones who might want a keepsake by which to remember your loved one. Just as it’s become customary to give out wedding favors printed or engraved with the names and date of the event, a growing number of families are giving out funeral favors with the name, birth and death dates of the person who has died. Some of the same companies and artisans that supply wedding favors can also create funeral favors.
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“Comeback” by Prince

Prince expresses his grief over the loss of his infant son
Posted on March 19, 2025 by Michelle Raybeck (Blog Writer) SevenPonds
An adult hand gently touches a baby's hand

Prince’s “Comeback” was his tribute to his late son.

One of the greatest multitalented musicians of the last 40-odd years, Prince, crafted a ballad titled “Comeback” following the death of his week-old son, Amiir, in 1996. The song, a poignant reflection of his grief, was made available only on a special fan club release.
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“Other Side” Documents Woman’s Fight To Die As She Wishes

Film paints intimate portrait of an activist and her family as she wins rights for herself and others
Posted on March 18, 2025 by Ginny Gaylor (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

When it comes to our wishes for how we die, most of us want three things: to die in our homes with loved ones around us, and with as little pain as possible. But many people don’t have that kind of death, particularly those that are terminally ill.

Not so for Lynda Bluestein. In “Other Side,” a deeply moving documentary by New York-based filmmakers Carter Oakley and Heather Hogan, we see Bluestein’s courageous journey as she fights for the right to end her life when and how she chooses.

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