Happiest Halloween!

May your Halloween be filled with fun and laughter
Posted on October 31, 2024 by Suzette Sherman (Founder, SevenPonds)

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Our Monthly Tip: Toast a Loved One with a Personalized Glass

Etching the glassware adds a touch of class to any memorial gathering keepsake
Posted on October 30, 2024 by Caitlin Manner (Blog Writer) SevenPonds
A blonde woman smiles as she holds up a stemless wine glass with the name Adele etched into it

Toast a loved one at a celebration of life with a personalized glass.
Credit: glassengraving.com

Our Tip of the Month

Offer guests a personalized etched glass with the name of the loved one you’re honoring at a memorial service or celebration of life. When throwing any kind of celebration, it has become de rigueur for the host to offer some kind of keepsake for guests to take home, and this is a beautiful way to adhere to that tradition. You can choose the glassware to reflect the person’s favorite drink, or opt for the appropriate vessel based on what you’re serving. Most participants will probably want to drink out of the glassware while they’re there, but it would be a good idea to provide gift bags and tissue paper so they have something in which to safely bring it home as a keepsake. 

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My Cousin’s Death Taught Me the Meaning of Life

A lesson in existentialism and mortality
Posted on October 28, 2024 by Elizabeth J Grear (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

young Leah succumbed to cancer at 20This is the story of Monica as told by Elizabeth. Our “Opening Our Hearts” stories are based on people’s real-life experiences. By sharing these experiences publicly, we hope to help our readers feel less alone in their grief and, ultimately, to aid them in their healing process. In this article, Monica tells the story of her older cousin, Leah, and how her death catapulted her into a world of existentialism and a journey to discover the meaning of life.

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“How to Host a Viking Funeral” by Kyle Scheele

Scheele's quirky, creative quest to help others release regrets is amusing and touching
Posted on October 27, 2024 by Mitch Lobrovich (Blog Writer) SevenPonds

Book jacket for How to Host a Viking Funeral

No one is immolated in “How to Host a Viking Funeral,” although more than 20,000 regrets scribbled on paper do go up in smoke, along with a rather impressive-looking cardboard Viking boat. The event, documented in this entertaining tome, was the brainchild of popular public speaker and author Kyle Scheele, who manages to turn the story of the boat’s creation and purpose into a funny, poignant and wise contemplation on regret and renewal.

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Ebony G. Patterson’s Colorful Light & Darkness

The 2024 MacArthur Fellow creates dazzling multimedia displays that explore grief, death and power dynamics
Posted on October 23, 2024 by Rachel Jones (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)
A vibrant, colorful display of multimedia flowers and butterflies by Ebony G. Patterson, interwoven with human elements and words.

Detail for “Studies for a vocabulary of loss XXV” (2024)
Credit: Mikhail Mishin © Ebony G. Patterson

Jamaican-American artist Ebony G. Patterson does not come across as shy. Her multimedia creations are explosions of color, glitter and light — all with an undercurrent of death, decay and mourning. Patterson’s work recently vaulted into the public consciousness when she received a MacArthur Fellowship, commonly known as a “genius grant,” on October 1, 2024.

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“Caoineadh na dTrí Muire” (Lament of the Three Marys) by Áine

Áine brings an angelic freshness to a traditional Irish lament
Posted on October 23, 2024 by Aaron Weaver (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Credit: YouTube

Even if you don’t understand a word of “Caoineadh na dTrí Muire” by Áine, you kind of get it. The music and singing is thick with sadness, grief and in this version of the song, hope. It’s a peculiar mix, but the end result is undeniably moving.

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