From The Heart

April 17, 2023

125 Years – Our Legacy

The O’Connor family legacy is tremendous. We have served tens of thousands of families in Southern California since we opened our doors in 1898. Since then, […]
March 8, 2023

Why Do We Tell Stories?

Stories are so important and to grieving people, stories can feel like everything. After a death, stories immediately begin coming out as memories are recalled to […]
September 28, 2022

What is the Goal of Grief?

In our goal-oriented society, we want to finish grief, check the boxes on grief stages and cross the finish line. We think that grief ends and […]
August 29, 2022

The Hard Call of End-of-Life Work (& How We Find Our Purpose)

Who would ever work at a funeral home? The stereotypes are creepy, the work is depressing, the tv portrayals horrifying. So why do people choose to […]
July 27, 2022

The Next Time Someone Says “Just throw me in a ditch …” Say This …

We’ve all heard people say something like, “When I die, just throw me in a ditch,” or “Just put me in a pine box, I don’t […]
May 19, 2022

The Rabbit Listened: A Children’s Book on The Healing Power of Listening

“Listen. People start to heal the moment they feel heard.” – Cheryl Robinson … Doerrfeld, Cori (2018). The Rabbit Listened. New York, NY: Dial Books for […]
March 24, 2022

Grief: What is the Rush to be “Ok”?

The more  I listen to bereaved people recounting their early days, weeks and months in grief, a consistent story emerges. Most of them can relate to […]
January 26, 2022
Pick a Number: Making it Through a New Year and the Hard Days Ahead

Pick a Number: Making it Through a New Year and the Hard Days Ahead

Pick a number between 1 and 60. Remember it. … For anyone who has recently experienced the death of a family member the idea of a […]
December 17, 2021
The Need to Remember

The Need to Remember

We have a deep and inherent need to remember. And COVID has taught us, that we also have a deep and inherent need to gather and […]