We in the Western world consider the concept of being a little bit dead along the same lines as being a little bit pregnant: it’s simply not possible. Many cultures would politely disagree. For some, not only are there different degrees of dead, but they also like to keep the bodies around until they concur […]
From the video’s creator: “This is an animated self-portrait exploring the idea of rebirth and illustrating the transfer of energy from one incarnation to another. I painted this stop frame animation on myself over 5 days, using some face paints, a mirror and a camera. Ruby from Emma Allen on Vimeo. I’d like […]
On Tuesday morning all I knew was that I was setting up an O’Connor table at the Heartland Hospice event that we were co-hosting. I got the table cloth & brochures all set out, greeted the attendees, and sat down in the back intending to “work” on my computer when the speaker, Barbara Karnes, a hospice […]
Cell phones often go off when we least want them to. In church. In school. During sex. And at a funeral. As other funeral directors can attest, the oddest thing about a cell phone ringing during funerals is how many people will actually answer. “Hello. Yeah. I’m at a funeral service. Can I call you […]
Death rites and rituals are hardly ever static. Change is the constant in both life in death. And so it is that change is here for the funeral business in the United States. We sit in liminality. The “traditional funeral” (aka embalming and burial [as defined by the FTC]) in the US is becoming outdated […]