What to Do When You Want the Deceased’s Personal Effects

October 4th, 2018
What to Do When You Want the Deceased’s Personal Effects

What to Do When You Want the Deceased’s Personal Effects

When a relative or close friend dies, it is common to want a memento or keepsake that belonged to them. We all have something like that cute tea set at grandma’s house that carries so many happy memories, or your best friend’s photo album from the trip you shared to Hawaii. You cherish these items, and to have them in your home will help keep your memories and love for the deceased alive. (more…)

Planning a Funeral After an Autopsy

October 1st, 2018
Planning a Funeral After an Autopsy

Planning a Funeral After an Autopsy

When death occurs following an unknown illness, an experimental treatment, or a case of suspicious or tragic death, an autopsy may be performed on the body of your loved one. This procedure, which is performed under the care of a coroner or medical examiner, allows pathologists to determine the exact cause of death. In some cases, this information is necessary in order to solve a crime; in others, it may be used to help inform future treatments and medical research. (more…)

How to Make a Memorial Donation

September 28th, 2018
How to Make a Memorial Donation

How to Make a Memorial Donation

When a friend or relative dies, it is fairly common to send money to a charitable organization in their name. Sometimes this is done at the family’s request (usually in the form of “in lieu of flowers” donations), while other times, it is entirely your own idea. By giving money to a cause that was important to the deceased or that will help save others from suffering the same disease or illness that caused their death, you can find quite a bit of closure and comfort. (more…)

What to Do When the Doctor Tells You to Put Your Affairs in Order

September 24th, 2018
What to Do When the Doctor Tells You to Put Your Affairs in Order

What to Do When the Doctor Tells You to Put Your Affairs in Order

One of the scariest things a medical professional can say to you or a loved one is “It’s time to put your affairs in order.” When an illness or disease reaches the stage where it becomes terminal, there is not much you can do except make the patient comfortable and begin the process of letting go. (more…)

How to Tell When Grief Becomes Unhealthy

September 19th, 2018
How to Tell When Grief Becomes Unhealthy

How to Tell When Grief Becomes Unhealthy

When a loved one dies, it is normal to feel a wide range of grief-related emotions—most of which run along a huge spectrum of possibilities. You might feel emotionally disconnected from the loss and not show any immediate signs of grief…or you could be hit hard and unable to stop crying. You might lose your appetite and be unable to think about eating…or you could turn to comfort food as a way to handle your feelings. You may find yourself feeling physically ill and stuck in bed…or maybe you may be hyper-focused and productive as a way to work through your feelings. (more…)

How Soon is Too Soon to Return to Work after a Loss?

September 15th, 2018
How Soon is Too Soon to Return to Work after a Loss?

How Soon is Too Soon to Return to Work after a Loss?

Losing a loved one is a difficult, emotional process that most people never truly “get over.” It does not matter whether you have lost a parent, child, spouse, sibling, grandparent or friend—the death of someone important in your life is going to affect you both emotionally and physically (in some cases, it will also affect you financially). (more…)

Scams to Watch Out for After the Death of a Loved One

September 10th, 2018
Scams to Watch Out for After the Death of a Loved One

Scams to Watch Out for After the Death of a Loved One

The idea that criminals would target the newly deceased and newly bereaved to take advantage of their loss is almost unthinkable, yet death and funeral scams do happen. People are at their most vulnerable during this time, and it is much more common to make mistakes or let your normal defenses down. (more…)

What is Swedish Death Cleaning, and How is it Related to Funerals?

September 7th, 2018
What is Swedish Death Cleaning, and How is it Related to Funerals?

What is Swedish Death Cleaning, and How is it Related to Funerals?

Death is such a reverent and painful subject that it is rare to find the term applied to anything except the end of a life. It is a topic we discuss when a loved becomes very sick, when we are writing out a will, or when we are faced with the sudden loss of a friend or family member. Rarely does the subject of death come up when we talk about cleaning the house. (more…)

Writing a Sympathy Card for a Suicide

September 3rd, 2018
The pain of your loss

Writing a Sympathy Card for a Suicide

Knowing what to write to someone who lost a loved one due to suicide is very difficult. On the one hand, you want to express your unconditional love and support to someone who is going through one of the worst experiences of their life. On the other, you do not want to touch too close to a subject (suicide) that is causing a lot of pain right now. (more…)

5 Legal Documents to Fill Out Before You Die

August 28th, 2018
5 Legal Documents to Fill Out Before You Die

5 Legal Documents to Fill Out Before You Die

Preparing for death is not only a matter of reaching a state of emotional and spiritual acceptance of your fate. Although coming to terms with your own mortality is an important part of the cycle of life, you also need to take some time to deal with the everyday bureaucracies. To ease the burden on your family and ensure that your wishes will be taken into account as you approach your final days, make sure you have these five documents filled out and filed with the appropriate overseeing body. (more…)

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