Tag: funeral

My wife Jolie (85) and I (88) just finished planning our own funerals. We began in December and finalized arrangements in early March. We’ve been having a great time sharing each step with our three children and their spouses.  For example, after getting a preliminary estimate from the funeral home, we thought we could get a better price by ordering caskets online.

What has brought about the shift from funerals to celebrations of life? What are the differences between the two? What religious and cultural values does each reflect and foster?

My dear friend, Ellen, died in December 2021. Hers was a long fight with cancer. She survived far longer than doctors had predicted. And until the end, she remained active and lively.

(RNS) A green burial is a way to care for the Earth and answer to the part of the soul that recoils at the pomp of the average American funeral, and takes seriously the biblical reminder: “For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

In the past two weeks, I have learned of a death of an acquaintance, celebrated a wedding and mourned anew on the 12th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. It was really a sharp contrast: many lives taken too soon juxtaposed with the radiant joy and fellowship of celebrating the forming of a new family.