One way to deal with death is through comedy. Chelsea Lately, an American late night comedy talk show host on the E! network is notable for her sarcastic approach to anything serious – including death. Chuy Bravo, her assistant, participates with Lately in this particular episode, where Lately tries on a casket on for size as well as some funeral make-up.
Filed under: Cremation, Death & Dying, Funeral Arrangements, Funeral Homes, Plan Your Own on September 25th, 2009 | No Comments »
Do you want to learn more about aspects of death and dying, but don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for a college course? Take advantage of open courseware, then. These courses, offered by major universities, government entities and businesses, are courses offered online. While they offer little to no credit, they’re free and you can learn at your own pace.
Filed under: Death & Dying, Death Practices, Hospice on June 18th, 2009 | No Comments »
With the waxing popularity of hospice care for end-of-lfe support and health care, many hospitals, hospice or palliative care services and nursing homes are changing the language of death. In one specific incident, this language has changed from one of a negative connotation to that of a positive and natural process.
Filed under: Death & Dying on April 27th, 2009 | No Comments »
If you become the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, you must file a claim to receive any money. This task could be as simple is contacting an insurance agent and filing some paperwork. But, if this is all you do, you may eventually discover that you have missed out on other benefits to which you are entitled. If you spend time finding hidden policies, you may uncover more money than you expected.
Filed under: Wills & Estate Planning on April 13th, 2009 | No Comments »
My brother, who is into an extreme green lifestyle, reminds his family occasionally how he’d like to die. He wants to trip into the great beyond while traipsing in the woods. Then, he wants no one to find him for a good three months or more.
Filed under: Alternatives, Death & Dying, Funeral Arrangements, Plan Your Own, Traditions on March 12th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Did you shiver when you saw the image at left? You may know, in your head, that the odds of dying on Tuesday are slim to none (we hope!), but superstitions are hard to shake sometimes.
Filed under: Cemeteries, Death & Dying, Death Practices, Funeral Arrangements, History of Funerals, Traditions on March 2nd, 2009 | 1 Comment »
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, newspaper obituaries were flowery affairs and often contained poems and quotes. The writers would eulogize the deceased in terms that often described angels, even when some knew that that person was far from angelic. Today, price and space limit the obituary to a matter-of-fact short blurb that barely allows the family to let others know about the deceased’s character.
Filed under: Funeral Arrangements on February 16th, 2009 | No Comments »
I was young when my grandmother died, but I remember clearly how I felt. I was sad, but mostly I was scared. I didn’t know what had happened, and – in my family – children were the last ones to know about details. That experience finally led me to counseling, which was a great move. You see, that counseling taught me how to talk about death with my own daughter.
Filed under: Death & Dying, Grief and Grieving, Talking with Children on December 24th, 2008 | No Comments »
If your loved one is dying, there are many things you can do to help ease their physical transition from life to death. One option is to hire a caregiver who will provide help for you and your loved one. And, yes, you can take an active role in providing care for your loved one during the final days, no matter where that loved one spends those last days.
Filed under: Caregivers, Hospice on December 15th, 2008 | No Comments »
Sometimes a person does not want to let go of grief for fear that a loss of hurt might mean that the loss will be forgotten. Grief, however, never truly ends, especially if that hurt was deep. A person may feel that he or she is through with grieving, and then a song, a scene from a movie or a ‘deja vu’ event will trigger a bittersweet sadness.
Filed under: Death & Dying, Grief and Grieving on December 5th, 2008 | 1 Comment »