Posts Tagged ‘death’

What to Wear to a Funeral When You Are Expecting

The old funeral superstitions say that pregnant women should not attend funerals, for fear that the spirits of the dead will somehow enter their womb and take over their unborn child. While we have pretty much laid those fears to rest these days, expectant mothers still sometimes struggle with attending the service. With maternity clothes so expensive and limited wardrobe options at home, it can be hard to figure out what to wear to a funeral when you are pregnant. (more…)

Can I Transport a Loved One’s Body in my Own Car?

When a loved one passes away out of state or in another city, you either have to bury them in that location or make arrangements for the transport of the body. (When you have a pre-planned funeral package in place, moving the body is usually required, since you will need to get your loved one to the funeral home of their choosing.) (more…)

How to Have a Funeral in Space

There is something about setting a funeral in space that makes us feel immortal. Maybe it is the vast size of it, spreading out over billions of galaxies. Maybe it is the timelessness, the idea that anything jettisoned out into space will keep moving forever. It could even be the beauty of it—the twinkling of a thousand starry nights is something humans have been admiring for centuries. (more…)

Unique Gifts for the Newly Bereaved

When a friend or family member loses a loved one, we want to do all we can to make their situation easier. Traditional funeral gifts like flowers, food, and gift baskets are nice gestures, but when everyone offers the same type of present over the course of a few weeks, it can get overwhelming (you can only eat so many casseroles, after all). (more…)

What to Do When a Loved One Dies of an Infectious Disease

The death of a loved one is almost always a traumatic experience, but when death was caused by an infectious disease, it can become even more upsetting. Any time you are talking about an illness that has the potential to spread to other people (even after death occurs), you are probably going to have to deal with fear and revulsion from the community – and sometimes, even from funeral providers. (more…)

Graveyard Superstitions

No place holds quite as much fear and mystery as a graveyard. Whether it is an historic old burial site no longer in use, or a modern cemetery with sleek marble slabs in place of traditional headstones, people have a way of getting nervous anywhere there are bodies buried in the ground. It is a fear that’s existed for thousands of years, which means there’s been plenty of time for superstitions to build up. (more…)

Is it Better to Buy Burial Insurance or Life Insurance?

At first glance, burial insurance and life insurance are the same thing: it is a payout that goes to your family or beneficiary when you die. Death is an inevitable part of the world we live in, and having an insurance policy in place for when that happens is a smart way to ensure your family has enough money to bury you without dipping into their own pockets. (more…)

Talking to Elderly Parents about Funeral Plans

Almost any discussion about advance funeral plans with the people you love is going to be uncomfortable. Not only do you have to bring up finances and religion (two things that put a strain on many families), but you also have to confront the idea of your own mortality. (more…)

Five Fun and Interesting Epitaphs

When someone famous or beloved dies, it is common to have a special phrase or quote carved into the headstone. These engravings (or epitaphs) are a kind of parting gift to the world; more public than your last words and more permanent than a note written on paper, these messages are what people who visit your gravesite carry with them for years to come. (more…)

Importance of Pre-Planning and End-of-Life Discussions with Family

Conversations about death are never easy – and conversations about your own death are even more complicated. Not only are there financial issues to bring up (a tricky subject in many families), but there is no way to talk about your end-of-life plans without emotions getting in the way. (more…)