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Welcome to the SevenPonds.com blog – a community-driven extension of SevenPonds.com! I hope you find comfort and community in the resources and stories featured here. I’m always happy to hear from readers and can be reached at suzette@sevenponds.com.
FEATURED
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First the Wealth Gap, Now the U.S. Has a Growing Health Gap: Discover why the U.S. health gap is growing and how improving healthspan can enhance quality of life for Americans -
How to Comfort A Dying Loved One: End-of-life expert Dr. Marianne Matzo explains some simple ways to offer solace -
Our Annual Seven Holiday Gifts for Someone Who Is Grieving, 2024 Edition: Gracious gifts that spread love and beauty
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Categories
Tag Archives: Cultural Perspectives
After the Psyche Escapes
A look at burial customs in Ancient Greece
Ancient Greeks believed that at the moment of death, the psyche, or human spirit, left the body with the final exhalation. With this last little breath, the soul separated from the body, but lived on, unencumbered by its mortal form. In Plato’s … Continue reading
Ikipalin: The Dani Finger Amputation Ritual
The Dani of New Guinea traditionally practiced finger amputation when mourning the loss of loved one
The experience of grief is an intensely physical one; grief is often accompanied by sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, digestive disruptions and cardiac problems. There are cultural practices around the world that believe intentional physical pain is an important part … Continue reading
Memorial Diamonds for a Diamond Burial
Swiss company Algordanza will turn cremation ashes into man-made diamonds
A company in Switzerland has given new meaning to the sentiment that we carry the dead with us. Algordanza makes carrying your dead with you literally a possibility with their “memorial diamonds.” The Swiss company will compress your loved one’s … Continue reading
The Turning of the Bones in Madagascar
A look at famadihana, a joyous celebration of life and death in Madagascar
In Madagascar, the Malagasy people engage in a unique and beautiful tradition called “famadihana.” This translates to “the turning of the bones,” and it is a ritual steeped in history and joy. During “famadihana,” which occurs every two to seven years, the … Continue reading
Traditional Romanian Death Customs and Superstitions
A look into traditional Romanian beliefs about death
In Romania, the customs and superstitions surrounding death stem from a blend of beliefs with preserved, pre-Christian elements as well as more current and predominantly Orthodox Christian beliefs. The Romanians have many superstitions about when the looming arrival of death … Continue reading
You Will Laugh, You Will Cry: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s film, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, reveals beauty through the death of a teen
It is not surprising that Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, an award winning coming-of-age film centered on a teen dying of terminal illness, got a standing ovation at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. The story follows awkward, insecure … Continue reading
