Tag Archives: Grief Loss and Bereavement



Chimeras: Our Closest Lost Loved Ones May Be Assimilated Into Our DNA

What immunology can teach us about the grieving process

Early in his remarkable essay “Chimera,” Gerald N. Callahan, a professor of immunology at Colorado State University, grapples with the loss of his wife and the odd occurrence of, what seems to him, her reappearance before his very eyes. Professor … Continue reading

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“Ooh Child” by The Five Stairsteps

The Burke family soul band, named by their mother for the way they stood in group photos, promised a better life in complicated times.

Ooh-oo child Things are gonna get easier Ooh-oo child Things’ll get brighter In 1970, the words to the Five Stairsteps release of “Ooh Child” felt like a healing balm. My fellow college students and I had suffered numerous national wounds … Continue reading

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“Non sum qualis eram bonae sub regno Cynarae,” by Ernest Dowson

A simple poem speaks eloquently to the loneliness of grief

Ernest Dowson’s unusually titled poem, “Non sum qualis eram bonae sub regno Cynarae” (“I am not as I was in the reign of good Cynara”) is a simple yet very effective piece about a man’s longing for a lost lover … Continue reading

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Monday Hearts for Madalene

Page Hodel creates beautiful hearts as a tribute to enduring love

It’s an honor for SevenPonds to share with our readers the story of the Monday Hearts for Madalene project, a true account of the power of love in the midst of death.The project’s origins take us to 2005: the moment … Continue reading

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Sharing Grief During the Holidays

A pastor in Wisconsin held a special service to acknowledge parishioners' grief

The holidays come with a host of expectations. Perhaps the most ubiquitous of these is the feeling that we must put a smile on our faces no matter how we feel. This “forced cheer” can be difficult for anyone under … Continue reading

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What Is a Life-Cycle Celebrant? An Interview With Holly Pruett

Holly Pruett helps clients tell their stories through ceremony and ritual

Today SevenPonds chats with Holly Pruett, a life-cycle celebrant based out of Portland, Oregon. Holly is a certified Life-Cycle Celebrant through the Celebrant Foundation and Institute. She helps her clients find a way of telling their stories at pivotal times in their … Continue reading

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