Thoughts of a funeral-goer
Posted by Lyra Mollington I arrived at my local crematorium armed with an airtight box and lots of questions. The box was full of cupcakes and the questions were from family and friends – the random assortment one might expect from people who don’t usually think about death or funerals, let alone talk about the […]
Three ways of talking to the dying
Virginia L Seno of the Esse Institute here proposes three ways of addressing a person who is dying. Here they are in stark outline: Ask the question,“What is most important to you right now?” Do what needs doing Be quiet and open-minded. Be present. Be available. Be willing to ask and hear and do. Read the […]
Promessa UK Team moves in a new direction
Press release issued this morning by Promessa UK and reproduced here word for word. Regrettably Promessa UK has decided for several reasons to sever all ties with Promessa Organic AB (Sweden). Promessa UK is not comfortable with the lack of progress in the development of Promession technology by Promessa Organic AB. In Promessa UK’s […]
Modern dying is a trainwreck
There’s a good TED talk here by Peter Saul. Dr. Peter Saul is a Senior Intensive Care specialist in the adult and paediatric ICU at John Hunter Hospital, and Director of Intensive Care at Newcastle Private Hospital in Australia. After spending time as the Head of Discipline for Medical Ethics at Newcastle University, he is […]
Way to go?
All things pass. In twenty years from now we shan’t be doing funerals as we do them today. Another good reason for not buying a funeral plan. Incremental change, say a great many reformers, will bring this about. Eventually. It’s worth keeping a weather eye for radical change, too. A few of us have been […]
Would you book doves for your funeral?
Posted by Richard Rawlinson I’ve always associated the ritual of releasing white doves with Hello!-funded weddings between footballers and the singers in girl bands. They make a cute photo-op as they flutter from their gilded cage, perfectly colour-co-ordinating with the bride’s gown. They may symbolise love, peace and faith but, at a funeral, might they […]
When is a grave not a lifestyle accessory?
A dead priest, buried in the grounds of the school he founded, is in danger of being dug up and moved so as not to be in the way of the school’s new owner. Father Jarzebowski, a Pole, bought the school in 1953 for fifty quid. There, he educated the children of Polish émigrées until […]
A community funeral society
Posted by Charles I’ve always liked the idea of Viroqua, Wisconsin. It seems to be the hometown of a lot of very nice people, all four and a bit thousand of them. Viroqua was dubbed ‘The Town That Beat Walmart’ in 1992 because its small businesses are able to compete with the monster and hold […]
Cherry blossoms
Posted by Vale Blossom bursting from bare wood, old hearts crack open spring sunshine. There is something unlooked for in the pleasures of spring: light, warmth and the flush of blossom; a sudden generosity beyond expectation. Japan marks this annual marvel by holding blossom viewing parties. It’s part of a culture which reverences nature by […]
What price value?
Over at the Connnecting Directors website here there’s a rant by a funeral home consultant, Alan Creedy. In it, we see amusing similarities between the US funeral industry and our own: Why do funeral professionals spend so much time fighting among themselves and never fighting for themselves? … Why is so much emotional energy spent on […]
