Out of sadness, wisdom springs. We'll be blogging about the latest in funeral products and practices, services that families found uplifting, helpful, and transforming. It is good to know what's possible at all stages of the end of life, and what other people are doing out there.

May 2023
- May 1, 2023 What People Don't Know About Cremation May 1, 2023
January 2022
- Jan 2, 2022 Desmond Tutu's Humble Homegoing Jan 2, 2022
November 2020
- Nov 28, 2020 Funeral Playlist: "Take It with Me" by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan Nov 28, 2020
September 2020
- Sep 26, 2020 Shrouds Seize the Limelight Sep 26, 2020
- Sep 18, 2020 Emily Dickinson: Morbid Poet or Canny Pre-Planner? Sep 18, 2020
June 2020
- Jun 26, 2020 What Did They Play at Beethoven's Funeral? Jun 26, 2020
April 2020
- Apr 25, 2020 Green Burial Music: "To My Old Brown Earth" by Pete Seeger Apr 25, 2020
- Apr 25, 2020 Bring Back the Mourning Wreath! Apr 25, 2020
- Apr 4, 2020 "Be Kind, I'm Grieving" Button by Cole Imperi Apr 4, 2020
- Apr 2, 2020 Deepak on Sudden Loss: "You Know She's There in Your Consciousness" Apr 2, 2020
- Apr 2, 2020 Glorious Grief Management Meditations from Belleruth Naparstek Apr 2, 2020
- Apr 1, 2020 Reaching Out When You Cannot Touch: Tactile Rituals for COVID-19 Apr 1, 2020
- Apr 1, 2020 Home Funeral Educators Now Have a Greater Role Apr 1, 2020
- Apr 1, 2020 Readings for When You Couldn't Be There Apr 1, 2020
- Apr 1, 2020 Resilient Grieving: Build Out Your Person's Life Story Apr 1, 2020
- Apr 1, 2020 Don’t Rush to Buy a Permanent Urn Apr 1, 2020
March 2020
- Mar 29, 2020 A Novel New Way to Process Cremated Remains Mar 29, 2020
- Mar 16, 2020 Song of Inspiration: "You Can Never Hold Back Spring" by Tom Waits Mar 16, 2020
February 2020
- Feb 22, 2020 Meet the Camphor Box Feb 22, 2020
January 2020
- Jan 10, 2020 Contemporary Urns and Keepsakes with Vintage Sensibility Jan 10, 2020
- Jan 9, 2020 British Urns of Endearment Jan 9, 2020
- Jan 4, 2020 Funeral Nostalgia: A Mentor's Farewell to Marilyn Jan 4, 2020
December 2019
- Dec 22, 2019 Cremation "Planturn" Vessels Support New Life, and the Kickstarter is Greening Up Nicely Dec 22, 2019
September 2019
- Sep 15, 2019 Classic Funeral Hymn: "It Is Well with My Soul" Sep 15, 2019
- Sep 9, 2019 What Franz Schubert Requested as He Lay Dying Sep 9, 2019
August 2019
- Aug 28, 2019 From Perfunctory Transfer to Transformative Experience Aug 28, 2019
June 2019
- Jun 28, 2019 When the Weather is a Guest at the Outdoor Funeral Jun 28, 2019
- Jun 25, 2019 Enduring Pet Loss: How to Create a Releasing Blanket for Your Pet Jun 25, 2019
- Jun 11, 2019 Funeral Nostalgia: The Farewell to Winston Churchill Jun 11, 2019
March 2019
- Mar 25, 2019 Memorial Music: John Mayer's "You're Gonna Live Forever in Me" Mar 25, 2019
- Mar 6, 2019 Enduring Pet Loss: Make a Custom Urn Mar 6, 2019
February 2019
- Feb 11, 2019 Making "Danny Boy" New Again Feb 11, 2019
December 2018
- Dec 3, 2018 Great Funeral Music: Tchaikovsky's "Andante Cantabile" Dec 3, 2018
June 2018
- Jun 25, 2018 Good Funeral Music: "I'll Be Seeing You" Jun 25, 2018
- Jun 21, 2018 Funeral Nostalgia: Cher Says Goodbye to Sonny Jun 21, 2018
April 2018
- Apr 4, 2018 Great Funeral Music: "A Chloris" by Reynaldo Hahn Apr 4, 2018
March 2018
- Mar 22, 2018 Good Funeral Music: New Twist on "My Way" Mar 22, 2018
- Mar 6, 2018 The COVID-19 “Car Cruise” Cortege Mar 6, 2018
November 2017
- Nov 17, 2017 Good Irish Funeral Music: "Be Thou My Vision" Nov 17, 2017
- Nov 1, 2017 Funeral Nostalgia: Meghan McCain Bids Farewell to Her Father Nov 1, 2017
- Nov 1, 2017 The Case for Hiring a Professional Funeral Photographer Nov 1, 2017
October 2017
- Oct 25, 2017 Maintaining Social Distance While Concluding an Outdoor Ceremony Oct 25, 2017
- Oct 20, 2017 A Home Funeral for Baby Burton Oct 20, 2017
- Oct 14, 2017 Marvin Hamlisch's "Memories" Magnified 600 Times Oct 14, 2017
September 2017
- Sep 28, 2017 A Song for Receiving Cremated Remains: "Bring Him Home" Sep 28, 2017
July 2017
- Jul 28, 2017 Ceremony Ideas for COVID-19 Families Receiving Cremains by Mail Jul 28, 2017
- Jul 25, 2017 Food for Grieving: Butterfly Shortbread Cookies Jul 25, 2017
- Jul 22, 2017 Family Decorates Casket for Dad, a Great News Editor Jul 22, 2017
June 2017
- Jun 18, 2017 Last Woolen Testament Jun 18, 2017
May 2017
- May 26, 2017 New: The Walking Stick Scattering Urn May 26, 2017
April 2017
- Apr 17, 2017 Baby Boomers Want Handmade Caskets Apr 17, 2017
March 2017
- Mar 28, 2017 True Personalization: Flowers That Say Something Mar 28, 2017
- Mar 11, 2017 The Emblem for a New Kind of Funeral Mar 11, 2017
February 2017
- Feb 28, 2017 Here's One Stunning 'Amazing Grace' Feb 28, 2017
November 2016
- Nov 22, 2016 What We Can Learn from the Funerals in "Game of Thrones" Nov 22, 2016
October 2016
- Oct 17, 2016 Good Funeral Music: Gabriel Faure’s "Pie Jesu" Oct 17, 2016
- Oct 9, 2016 Song of Inspiration: "Smile, Though Your Heart Is Aching" Oct 9, 2016
August 2016
- Aug 28, 2016 Collectables and Cookbooks Can Be Featured at the Funeral Aug 28, 2016
- Aug 16, 2016 What Was Performed at Elvis Presley’s Service? Aug 16, 2016
May 2016
- May 22, 2016 A Return to Ritual Bathing and Shrouding of Our Dead May 22, 2016
April 2016
- Apr 25, 2016 Deaths of Prince and David Bowie Demonstrate Two Approaches to Cremation Apr 25, 2016
December 2015
- Dec 2, 2015 Great Funeral Music: "I Vow to Thee, My Country" Dec 2, 2015
June 2014
- Jun 10, 2014 Classic Funeral Hymn: "O God of Loveliness" Jun 10, 2014
October 2013
- Oct 25, 2013 Sow Seeds of Love at the Graveside Oct 25, 2013
June 2013
- Jun 28, 2013 For Couples Who Wish to Spend Eternity Together Jun 28, 2013
April 2013
- Apr 22, 2013 Good Funeral Music: "Wind Beneath My Wings" Apr 22, 2013
February 2013
- Feb 9, 2013 Good Funeral Music: "God Put a Rainbow in the Clouds" Feb 9, 2013