In modern life, grief is usually rushed. You get a few days off work, maybe a memorial service, and then people expect you to get back to normal. But grief doesn’t work that way. It lingers. It changes how you move through the world.  Still, many of us are taught to keep it private. To hold it together. To not make others uncomfortable.  But that hasn’t always been the norm. Different cultures have handled grief in very different ways- more open, more communal. One of the mos

How to Plan a Funeral That Feels Like You At 21, Ruby Love Cohen walked into a secondhand shop in Copenhagen and found a mint green silk coat with tiny yellow flowers. It was delicate and bright, with a Western cut and an antique charm. She took it back to her room, hung it under a light, and stared at it. “This coat will outlive me,” she told her friend. Then a thought came to her: What if my funeral looked like this? What if it were a fashion exhibition, not a traditional s

For years, most people saw HIV as a death sentence. No one planned for what would happen if people lived. Now, decades later, thousands...

When Vincent Crisostomo was diagnosed with HIV in 1989, the doctor told him he likely wouldn’t live to see his 30th birthday. He was 28,...

Let’s be honest: getting older can be wonderful, but it comes with a few big  questions. One of the hardest?  Who will be there for me...

We don’t like to talk about death.  Most people avoid the subject entirely until life forces them to face it. But here’s the truth:...

What if we didn’t fear death—but welcomed it as part of our journey?  Those who lived in ancient Egypt did just that. They saw death not...

When Sandy Chen Stokes visited her father in Taiwan, he was already in the ICU—hooked up to machines, unresponsive, and unable to speak...

Grief is one of life’s most challenging journeys, and yet, so many of us feel like we have to walk it alone. The world keeps moving, but...

Losing a child is an unimaginable heartbreak. It’s a grief that changes everything—the way you see the world, your relationships, even...

Elder abuse is a hidden crisis that affects millions of older adults each year, often silently unfolding in the very places they should...

Grief is a journey without a map. It affects us all differently, but there’s one universal truth: we need a way to process it. At The...

The Power of Music in Aging and Memory Care Music holds a special place in all our lives. It can bring us joy, comfort, and even healing....

In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula , I had the privilege of sitting down with Jessica Fein, the...

Grief is a deeply personal journey that often feels overwhelming. Many of us search for ways to cope, and one powerful method is through...

Deciding on senior living can be one of a family's most emotional and challenging choices. Whether you're unsure what senior living truly...

In our latest episode of "Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula," we discuss the ways history has shaped our practices...

When it comes to the end of life, compassionate care is essential. Yet, many people don’t have equal access to the hospice services they...

Grief is something we all face, but for those in high-stress jobs like law enforcement, it can be especially tough. In this episode of...

Did you know that home funerals are a legal in the United States? Many people are unaware that they can take a more personal approach to...