Ceremonies

August 17, 2016
“But

“But, it’s been 10 years …” Grieving a Long Ago Loss

 || This month I am sharing a unique experience I had at a grief workshop where a 10 year old loss came flooding back to me in a […]
August 21, 2015
A List You Need to Have | Planning Ahead for What You Want

A List You Need to Have | Planning Ahead for What You Want

Ok, have I got a list for you! As you know and perhaps have seen first hand, most families have to make decisions about ceremonies with […]
April 22, 2015
I Needed To See Her In That Pink Casket: Viewing Our Loved Ones

I Needed To See Her In That Pink Casket: Viewing Our Loved Ones

When my grandmother died she looked grotesque. She suffered a sudden heart attack and was given CPR for quite a while before they stopped. When I […]
December 3, 2014
Deleting “Shoulds” from Your Grief Vocabulary

Deleting “Shoulds” from Your Grief Vocabulary

One of the most problematic phrases in our culture’s grief vocabulary are the words, “You shouldn’t be … (fill in the blank with whatever makes them […]
August 6, 2014
Admit It … You Deserve a Funeral

Admit It … You Deserve a Funeral

If you’re like me you’ve heard many of the older people in your family say things like, “Don’t fuss over me when I die,” or, “When […]
June 4, 2014
A Buddhist Memorial Service: Making Time to Remember Years Later

A Buddhist Memorial Service: Making Time to Remember Years Later

It is Buddhist practice to hold a memorial service for loved ones every set number of years after their death. Recently, my family and I gathered […]
March 25, 2014
The Legacy Keeper

The Legacy Keeper

The Legacy Keeper: A Celebrant’s Gift to Me My brother Jim had died on February 19th just over a month ago. The Sunday after my family […]
February 26, 2014
So

So, What’s a Celebrant?

Last year I had never heard of a Celebrant. A what? What do they do? Sounds weird. Last week I walked into a room with 20 […]
December 4, 2013
We Lit Nine Candles: The Remembrance Service

We Lit Nine Candles: The Remembrance Service

On Tuesday night we held our 12th Annual Candlelight Remembrance Service at the Laguna Hills Community Center. These evenings are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. […]