DYING: Journey | Veterans | Hospice | Art / Poetry | Organ Donation | Mortuary / Burial | Grief | Peace & Grace
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there. I did not die.
Mary Elizabeth Frye
Conscious Endings
Standard mortuary, cremation and burial options are easily available on the internet. You can find them by searching on: “mortuary services near me”. There is a growing trend that recognizes the negative effects of standard burial practices on the environment. Here are some alternatives to consider.
A Will for the Woods
Award-Winning Feature Documentary. Determined that his last act will be a gift to the planet, musician and psychiatrist Clark Wang prepares for his own green burial.
Watch the Trailer:
How to Plan a Funeral
Helpful steps outlined in the Crossroads University Journal
Read the article
What Inscription Has Meaning for You?
My friend Lori tells me of her experience with pre-planning for her funeral and burial expenses. In talking to a mortuary she expressed her desire for as simple and direct a cremation as
possible. She was offered many fancy cremation urns but ultimately said. “I want only a plain wooden box for my ashes and I want you to inscribe it ‘Return to Sender’ ”
The Coffinmaker
A unique and environmentally conscious approach to making coffins.
Funeral Consumers Alliance
The goal of Funeral Consumers Alliance is to ensure consumers are fully prepared and protected when planning a funeral for themselves or their loved ones. This organization offers objective facts about funeral planning so families can plan a meaningful goodbye that fits their needs and their budget.
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Funeral and Memorial Planning – VeryWell Health
Find tips for funerals, eulogies, and more to make this difficult time a little easier.
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New Hampshire Funeral Resources, Education & Advocacy
Their mission is to support informed funeral consumer choice though education and advocacy.
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Green Burial Council
A source where you can learn about the environmental impact of common mortuary and burial practices and the alternative choice you can make.
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National Home Funeral Alliance
A place to find information about home funerals, including directories for where to find home funeral guides, home funeral education programs, home-funeral-friendly funeral directors, celebrants and clergy, and groups who will help families when needed. Our goal is to educate the public to their choices and provide clear information.
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Natural Transitions
A non-profit resource center providing education on conscious, holistic, and green approaches to end of life, including family-directed home-based after-death care also known as “home funerals.”
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Death in the Digital Age
Death On Facebook Now Common As ‘Dead Profiles’ Create Vast Virtual Cemetery by Jaweed Kaleem – article in the Huffington Post
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In the Future, Your Body Won’t be Buried…You’ll Dissolve
by Harry Campbell
An evolving technology that will solve many of the problems of toxicity involved both in traditional embalming and burial and in cremation.
Read the article