In October 2013, I used a work trip to Chicago as an excuse to bring my 9-month-old son to visit his grandparents. My mother opened the door of my parents’ high-rise condo with a strange look on her face. She welcomed us as brightly as she could, but I knew something was wrong. My parents…
Picture this. You’re at the dining room table on Thanksgiving Day. Family is all around you. They’re laughing, sharing stories of past Thanksgiving dinners. They’re happy. But all you want to do in this moment is to be alone and cry. Maybe the tears are right there, right behind your eyes. Or maybe tears have…
Simple burial, cremation, or green burial? As you make estate planning decisions, it’s common — and prudent — to start discussions around your future funeral and burial, too. For centuries, simple burial was the go-to option with burial methods becoming more complex through the years. Prior to the late 1800s, funeral and burial preparations took…
Show Up Things can be awkward at the hospital or funeral home. You want to visit and support family and friends there, but it can feel uncomfortable. You may not know what to say or how to act. It’s important you come anyway, spending time with your hurting family member or friend in person. Your…
While the trustee or personal representative will have their own list of duties to handle, other loved ones may still have some tasks to manage in the weeks following the funeral. Again, be sure you’re prioritizing self-care throughout this long process. Your grief might show up in unexpected and surprising ways, so keep your support…
The funeral is behind you and the refrigerator is filled with hotdishes from the neighbors. While it might seem like all of the difficult work is behind you, there are still a number of tasks to be managed in the days following the service. To help guide you through the next few days, we’ve created…
When a loved one dies, the to-do list of tasks and notifications can feel daunting, especially when you’re also facing what feels like a mountain of grief. Over the next few weeks, we will offer guidance for the steps to be taken in the initial days, weeks, and months after experiencing a loss. Hopefully these…
