Death and Life

When I began caregiving for my mother-in-law, I came in with an agenda. Over the course of her illness, I understood that I had to put aside my idealized version of what this “good death” was going to be. She wasn’t my project to have the most prepared ending ever. This was her dying journey, not mine. 

Guest Blogger Katey Houston of Return Home shares the ins and outs of an alternative to burial and cremation. Human composting, sometimes called Natural Organic Reduction, is an age-old science optimized to take human remains and gently transform them into rich, life-giving soil.

When someone dies, there's so much stuff to sort through. What to do with a half finished hand-crafted table left behind by a deceased grandpa? Guest Blogger Jerry Pahl tells the story of how he found a new purpose and home for Grandpa's table.

With as little as 5 minutes you can start to feel more prepared, have some peace of mind, and provide an incredible gift to your family and loved ones. By spending just a little time planning and thinking through these decisions now you’ll have a lifetime of mental comfort knowing that your end of life will align with your wishes. 

Guest Blogger, Charity Cole, shares what she wishes she knew about her grandparent's dog, who she adopted after they died.

  Living with the risk of Covid-19 transmission and hearing about the hundreds of thousands of Americans that have died due to Covid-19, our chi...

This season’s design is very near and dear to my heart as it pays tribute to my late husband (Garcy’s father) Joe. “Add some hearts…and a blue rose to the design.” I asked her before she embarked on yet another hand-drawn version of our logo.

Our Special Guest Blogger is Emma Payne, Founder & CEO of Grief Coach. Grief Coach is a text-based grief support service to help navigate difficult times.

Read Lori's article "Talking to the Dead" featured in the End of Life Times: A Reimagine Community Newspaper.

I've recently changed my mind about this whole death thing.

Not the talking about it or encouraging others to do the same, but personally what I want to happen after I go.

Celebrations of life can be as unique as every individual. We all have a story, a legacy, a life worth celebrating. Why not gift your loved ones with your own creative input in the process? 

On the month of my sixth anniversary working in the emergency department of a community hospital in Los Angeles, I have written some suggestions for how you can prepare for a medical emergency. People don’t plan to come to the ER. They are brought by ambulance or a concerned family or friend due to a medical crisis. 

Sometimes, people are unconscious or unable to provide information. Often, we may not even know their identity.