Death and Dying Articles

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Chad Wiley @ Tuesday, 2nd December 2008 @ 1:18 AM

Many people don't like to think about death, whether it's theirs or that of a loved one. As one gets older, however, it can stick in your mind, and remind you that something must be done. It's a wise choice to think about funeral arrangements before you actually die, so that you will have it the way you want it, and not leave it up to those still living. One of the more popular ways to go is cremation. Cremation is where your body is made into ashes, instead of being buried... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Joel McLaughlin @ Friday, 21st November 2008 @ 7:16 AM

A Rancho Cordova cop has been killed in yet another motorcycle accident involving an older motorist. The accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when the officer, Deputy Lawrence Canfield, was trying to overtake a suspected speeding driver on his motorcycle. According to officer.com, a car driven by a 79-year-old man took a turn right in front of the motorcycle, slamming against it, throwing Canfield off. The officer suffered severe injuries, and was helped by several passersby until medical he... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Joel McLaughlin @ Friday, 21st November 2008 @ 7:11 AM

For the thousands of people who have opted to take to the streets in their motorcycles in an attempt to beat high gas prices, there's a sobering statistic about motorcycle accidents that might make them think twice. According to the California Highway Patrol, motorcycle accident deaths in the state are on their way to rivaling a record set back in 1991. That was the last year that motorcyclists were allowed to ride without helmets. The death count in motorcycle accidents that year was 512. ... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Chad Wiley @ Thursday, 13th November 2008 @ 6:28 AM

In Western Europe and most western countries the funeral ritual begins with the washing of the corpse, and the dressing of the body in the clothing suitable for burial. It is far less common now to have the body embalmed, changes in fashion and technical advances in the design and building of coffins as made embalming less popular. The next step is usually to approach a funeral director to begin the process of deciding on the type of funeral that will be required; this is nearly always de... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Chad Wiley @ Friday, 31st October 2008 @ 4:10 PM

Cremation is a process where a human body is burnt until the corpse becomes its basic carbon components in the form of ash. In Western countries, this process is carried out in a crematorium, the burial or the scattering of remains is usually performed with the use of a capsule or urn. The burning of the body of a deceased is known in many cultures around the world The ashes of the deceased were either scattered or stored, the ashes were kept in special containers but also in a vase or j... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Chad Wiley @ Thursday, 23rd October 2008 @ 7:26 AM

Cremation is an increasingly popular option in funeral planning today, but few people understand the actual process of cremation and what it entails. If you are considering cremation for yourself or a loved one, you undoubtedly want to learn about the process. It may seem morbid to research this information; it is, however, only a part of a simple and dignified process. But whom do you ask? Fortunately, there are caring cremation providers willing to explain the process in detail. All yo... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Chad Wiley @ Friday, 26th September 2008 @ 10:09 AM

Choosing a casket is a personal choice. There are a variety of caskets to choose from to spend ones final rest. Metal caskets are gorgeous. They come in a variety of colors such as brown, silver, rich wood look, tan and white. The inside has different rich looking colors, too. If you prefer the wood look there are an array of wood caskets to choose from. Rich light and dark woods to suit even the fussiest of personalities. Veteran caskets are a lovely choice as all vetera... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Rachel Betzen @ Monday, 15th September 2008 @ 10:57 PM

When we remember loved ones lost and the family and friends most affected, a special memorial can help us honor their lives and soothe the pain of that loss. Memorials for a loved one may include many aspects, but they all have something special that remind us of the person lost. Personalizing a memento allows us to take that special memory and engrave it into something tangible. When a special memorial engraving is placed beneath a finely crafted windchime, both the imagery and soun... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Chad Wiley @ Thursday, 11th September 2008 @ 6:51 PM

Unfortunately, whether we like it or not part of life is death; and during our own lives, most of us will be faced with the untimely or pre-considered death of someone near to us. This is nearly always an extremely traumatic and emotionally charged period of time, when we will also have to deal with the unpleasant task of making the necessary arrangements in order that the departed can be laid to rest. Again, it is not something that many people want to have to deal with but ultimately it can be... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Ava Rose @ Tuesday, 9th September 2008 @ 1:48 PM

If you need to order sympathy flowers and want to make sure you get the best flowers at the right price then read these ten insider tips. 1. If there is a service at a funeral home it is most common to send flowers to the funeral home for the viewings and you should try and get the flowers delivered for the first viewing as their may only be 2 viewings. 2. It is acceptable& customary to send funeral flowers, Plants or Fruit & Gourmet Baskets to the funeral home 3. If you are... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Chad Wiley @ Saturday, 30th August 2008 @ 3:22 PM

Cremation is an alternative to the traditional funeral service. With cremation you have many options that you might not be aware of that can help your family through the hard process of losing a loved one. You can choose to hold a memorial cremation service with your local funeral home this way everyone can come together to say goodbye to the lost loved one, and have a time to reflect on all the memories you have shared together. You can also use a rental casket, and have a viewing of yo... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Catherine Harvey @ Monday, 18th August 2008 @ 11:16 PM

Making a will means different things to different people in different countries. In the UK, there is still a huge rich/poor divide. At the lower end of the income scale people very rarely concern themselves with making a will, although it is important for everyone to consider. Even if you have no worldly goods to leave, there will still be things to consider such as the care of minors and funeral arrangements. For the rich, there is this constant struggle to help their bequeathed avoid inheritan... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Catherine Harvey @ Thursday, 7th August 2008 @ 6:56 PM

Funerals are never cheap. A really basic affair will start at 500 pounds but the average funeral will cost 2,000 pounds upwards. This is not something many of us want to consider but if we don't, then who will? The burden of funeral arrangements and costs will fall on the next of kin if we shuffle off this mortal coil with no prior arrangements in place through a will and this all comes at a time when our loved ones really don't have the emotional capabilities for it. Making a w... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Catherine Harvey @ Tuesday, 22nd July 2008 @ 6:32 AM

For the rich and famous who can be a little indecisive when will writing, some of the richer celebrities may be making headway in what to do with their millions when they die. One New York billionaires who once said 'only the little people pay taxes' has taken charge of what happens to her dollars when she dies by leaving it all to dogs. Her family and friends get nothing while her dog - Trouble - gets several million dollars and dogs in general get billions. This New Yor... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Art Gib @ Tuesday, 15th July 2008 @ 5:03 PM

"We will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die". --Dame Cicely Saunders In 1967 Dame Cicely Saunders at St. Christopher's Hospice in London first applied the term "hospice" to specialized care for terminally ill and dying patients. Today, hospice care provides humane and compassionate care for people in the last phases of incurable disease so that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible in the time they have left... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Adam Shaw @ Monday, 30th June 2008 @ 12:40 AM

After over 13 years working a nurse I had witnessed some weird and wonderful things. Occasionally, one of them stands out as significant. Back in '97-'98 I went to Australia with a one year working visa. During this time I worked for nurse agencies in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The experience was a good one as I was able to see how another health care system worked. During this period a stack of interesting experiences occurred for me, though the most significant happened in... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Candace Talmadge @ Wednesday, 18th June 2008 @ 6:23 PM

The caramel-colored corgi spotted me walking toward the city-run recreation center. Out for a walk with his person, the little dog stopped in his tracks and fixed me in his gaze. The woman on the end of his leash tried to move him along, but he wouldn't budge. He stood his ground, waiting for me to approach him. I bent down and opened my palm for him to sniff, talking softly to him. He licked my hand and fingers eagerly, and enjoyed having his head rubbed and ears scratched. O... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Candace Talmadge @ Monday, 16th June 2008 @ 4:08 AM

"Donna" was trapped in an agony of indecision. Her eight-year marriage to a man older than she, of another ationality, culture, and religion, had never been easy. Now it was threatening to founder on the rocky shoals of severe financial strain and quarrels over in-laws. At age 29, she already had one child, a daughter nearly three years old. She was pregnant again. This time, Donna couldn't feel the joy so many other women experience on learning this news. She ... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Candace Talmadge @ Friday, 13th June 2008 @ 8:50 PM

After requesting protection, the healing circle conductor then tells the inquirer to speak the name of the soul in question. The inquirer verbalizes the soul's full name two times and a pet or nickname the third time. Thought-Energy Communication Sometimes, the soul hesitates to enter the circle precisely because there are strangers present. If that's so, the conductor should ask the inquirer to repeat the same name sequence aloud once more. Other times, the soul is so ea... more...

Culture and Society » Death and Dying | By Candace Talmadge @ Friday, 13th June 2008 @ 8:49 PM

Just because someone has asked for a healing circle does not obligate you to conduct one. Check into the inquirer's motives carefully. You not only have the right to feel comfortable with the inquirer, you actually need to establish some sort of rapport to help ensure the success of the session. Do not force a session down the throat of a person whose fear level is too high. If you do, you probably won't get very far because that inquirer will be in a state of heavy denial. <... more...