Excerpts from a magazine article by Alan Wolfelt were summarized by Margaret Verschuur. For people who have experienced the death of someone they love, holidays can be particularly difficult. What is intended to be a time of joy, family togetherness, and thankfulness instead brings feelings of sadness, loss, and emptiness. When someone you love dies, the full sense of this…
Before the 1860’s, families and communities took care of their own dead. Historian Mark Harris noted in his book, Grave Matters, that it was after the American Civil War this changed. The bodies of fallen soldiers were routinely embalmed before being transported back to their families in the north. In 1865, Abraham Lincoln’s embalmed body was viewed publicly for two weeks…
Power of Attorney (POA) is a legal document. It gives someone you trust the power to look after your legal and financial affairs. This might include paying bills, depositing or withdrawing money from your bank account, investing your money, or selling your home. The person you give this power to is called the attorney. In this case “attorney” doesn’t mean…
After a loved one dies, why keep the body at home? What advantages are there to undertaking the death related tasks ourselves? Don Morris, a death educator from Victoria and one of our teachers, has written the following: Enhances participation – Home funeral vigils offer opportunities for participation which fosters healing from grief. Rochelle Martin of Ontario’s Home Funeral Alternatives says, “family…
Choice in Supports for Independent Living (CSIL) is a program offered in British Columbia. CSIL is an alternative way for people with disabilities in BC to receive home support services. When a person has a life-threatening illness, they may require a substantial amount of care for a period of time. Home support services and palliative care benefits are available and helpful,…
When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.” ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh When we are grieving, we may want to distance ourselves from our anger, confusion, or pain….
Aquamation is a method of cremation that is significantly more environmentally responsible than fire-based cremation. Also known as alkaline hydrolysis, resomation, and water cremation, it involves liquefying the body under pressure in a mixture of potassium hydroxide and water. The decomposition process is the same as that which occurs naturally when a body is buried, but at an accelerated rate….
Jennifer Stevens died at home on Cortes Island on July 26th, 2022, surrounded by her family. Her body was tended to and remained in her cabin for three days. The friend who built an exquisite casket said, “It was really hard to build that coffin, I just wanted to keep working on it, keep adding things to it, I loved…
If you’re named as the executor in someone’s Will, you may need to probate the Will. Probate is a procedure done in court that confirms the Will is legally valid. Financial institutions and others holding assets of the estate often require assurance the Will presented is legally valid before transferring funds or assets. The executor of the Will may also…
A Will is a legal document that sets out what will happen after you die to (most of) your property and any minor children. It’s an important legal document, and one every adult should have. If you have considerable assets, if your Will might be contested, or if it’s complicated, it is wise to pay for the help of a…