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Just when we thought it was over, a new wave of Covid-19 appears at our shore in the form of Delta. Will this blow over in a few weeks? How long will it go on? I find it so hard to face the ups and downs of Covid-19 as the virus and our understanding of it changes. The waves feel ...
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Experiencing the death of a colleague has always been hard. Now, with so many employees working remotely and familiar ways of consoling each other unavailable, it feels even more difficult. More than 5 million Americans lost a loved one to Covid and are now going through the grief process. Though gr...
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Grieving the loss of a loved one is often compounded by the stress and burden of managing funeral expenses on top of everything else you may be feeling. Now, some of the over 557,000 Americans who have lost a loved one to COVID-19 can apply for help with funeral costs through the Federal Emergency M...
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Checking In One Year Later Grief doesn’t necessarily stop or end… it moves to a gentler place..our life expands around it. Acceptance it’s called. But what if we haven’t returned to Normal. What if we’ve left nor...
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As the weather warms up and flowers begin to bloom again, signs of spring can feel contrary to grief. Many of you are telling us you feel stuck, angry, or sad as the seasons change. Grief is not predictable. It does not follow the calendar. It is your own, personal experience and however you are fee...
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Bringing EVERYONE Together After experiencing the loss of a loved one, celebrating his or her life together is one of the most meaningful things you can do with your community. Yet, even as spring weather allows for outdoor events and COVID-19 vaccinations become more widely available, conc...
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Three days with a GatheringUs family - from the Washington Post 6 P.M. MONDAY It was 13-year-old Caleb Sun’s idea to have a virtual memorial service for his father, and he always planned on giving a speech. But when it’s his turn to speak at the rehearsal, his Zoom rect...
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For some, the holidays bring an onslaught of grief triggers followed by months of feeling adrift in the dark days of winter. Understandably, winter magnifies the issues that we face after a loss, such as depression, isolation, and poor self-care. If this sounds familiar, kn...
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by Lisa Hartley January feels like the longest month of the year. Certainly, it's the saddest. Holidays are done. Resolutions are broken. Festival lights are stored for another year. It's dark and rainy in my part of the world. My bills are due. Covi...
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With large gatherings restricted and face masks mandated at events across the country, gathering friends and family to support each after the death of a loved one is complicated. Many grievers, understandably, want to delay or do nothing at all. Virtual funerals and celebration of life ceremonies, h...
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Virtual Funeral Tips What is a virtual funeral service? A virtual funeral or virtual memorial service brings family and friends together to celebrate a loved one from afar. An online memorial may combine an in-person gathering at a funeral home, church or ...
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The grieving process, already difficult, has become even harder in recent months. Coronavirus has disrupted mourning rituals, many states now limit in-person gatherings, and social distancing is the new normal. Despite these challenges, there are still plenty of meaningful ways to support ...
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Gone are the days when we wore clothing or shaved our heads to honor a loved one and to tell the world that we are grieving. But expressing the loss remains a very human need. Many people get tattoos to serve as lasting reminders of a loved one that died. A permanent tattoo may not be your th...
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It can be difficult to know what to say or do to support friends after the loss of a loved one. Depending on the person, the type of loss and how much time has passed, friends will need different types of support. Grief comes in waves and is often unpredictable. Friends need different ...
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Traditionally, we relied on religion to provide a playbook for commemorating loved ones. Today, we often borrow from other cultures and religions. Some of the gatherings you may want to consider: Jewish: Shiva house (7 days of open house after a memorial) or 30-day gathering called S...
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An interview with Jeri Glatter, Vice-President of the International End of Life Doula Association With the advent of modern medicine, 80% of Americans are dying in hospitals or in nursing homes rather than in homes. It’s no wonder we don’t know how to prepare for or cope with...
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"A good funeral gets the dead where they need to go and the living where they need to be.” -Thomas Lynch Ceremonies Inspiring Celebrations of Life The 5 Guidelines of a Eulogy Create a memorial video Ceremonies, verses, and eulogies Music playlist Green funer...
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What happens when someone dies can take many different forms — religious funeral or secular? Open-casket memorial or closed? Small, family-only gathering or one open to the community? Formal obituary, or heartfelt, or funny? Traditional burial, or green burial, or cremation? However ...
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Author: Christina Andreola is the founder of New Narrative Memorials, an event planning company dedicated to planning and managing the details of End of Life events. Christina works with families to determine event details and then takes the lead in communicating with venues, caterers, flo...
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A frenzy of activity tends to follow immediately after someone dies: planning or attending a memorial, preparing an obituary or eulogy, and dealing with various logistical issues. But after the funeral, what comes next? Grief can feel overwhelming—like too much to deal with, or like you don'...
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As my husband prepared his Thanksgiving assignments last week, I looked down at our list of family members and their delicious sounding contributions. My heart was full. And yet I was also struck by a deep pang, knowing our Thanksgiving Coordinator in Chief was not listed. Ever since ...
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Death and grief are difficult concepts for everyone and we each go through a different process. Kids also have their individual responses and they can surprise you with their directness. A few tips on how to talk to kids about death: 1) Say that s/he died. Listen, answer qu...
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When planning a funeral or memorial, it helps to spend time thinking about our loved ones and things that are personally meaningful. A few ways to personalize a funeral or memorial: Photo slideshow Music playlist with their favorite or meaningful music Display their artwo...
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1: Tell a story 2: Make it meaningful 3: Not too meaningful 4: Make it personal, but not necessarily to your person 5: Be respectful— a Eulogy is not a roast So you’ve been tasked with writing a Eulogy? You have earned the challenging honor of standing up in ...
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Welcome to the GatheringUs blog, where we go through the nuances and details of preparing to celebrate the life of your loved one. Here, we drill down on particular topics, such as writing the obituary, personalizing the ceremony and eulogy, choosing the venue, and the challenges of family politics....
