How to Celebrate Virtual Graduations

Our series “Celebration Inspiration” is all about bringing you top-notch advice and creative ideas to make the most of life’s special moments.

We’re over one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and the world is slowly opening up again. For the class of 2021, virtual classes have come to an end and it’s time to celebrate – graduation is here!

However, many schools are still opting for virtual graduations in 2021 to continue to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. While the idea of a virtual graduation celebration might have sounded far-fetched in a pre-COVID world, it remains the best option for honoring the Class of 2021 while maintaining social distancing.

But don’t let the thought of yet another Zoom meeting get you down. There are plenty of ways to celebrate the grads in your life by throwing a virtual graduation extravaganza that they won’t want to miss. Join in on the fun with these tips to honor their hard work and dedication from the comfort of your living room.

Celebrating graduations remotely

As event planner Randi Slick will tell you, the COVID-19 pandemic revolutionized the way the world celebrates. “The event industry was the first to be shut down and the last to open back up,” says Randi, owner of event planning company, Signature Events. When everything from massive dream weddings to children’s birthday parties were put on hold last year, schools also had to adapt and figure out ways to recognize graduates without risking exposure to the virus. Randi says that in some cities this year, graduates are being honored with in-person graduations with strict capacity limitations.

When it comes to celebrating a virtual graduation, Randi thinks you can still make it memorable. “I think gathering messages of support and congratulations from family and friends is a great idea,” he says. “With today’s technology, the possibilities are endless and it would be a keepsake they could carry with them forever. I think we have taken for granted how fortunate we are to have the options we have virtually.”

Here are a few inspirational ideas while planning your own virtual graduation celebration.

Zoom party

We may be tired of using Zoom for work meetings and remote schooling, but when it comes to hosting a virtual party, it’s a great tool in helping us to stay connected. With the proper planning, you can host an unforgettable virtual celebration over video. Think decorated backdrops, graduation-themed virtual photo booths, and silly slideshows with endearing (and embarrassing) pictures and anecdotes of the graduate.

Send a gift

When the winds of change are blowing, classic gifts are often the most appreciated. A stunning bouquet of flowers, a sweet edible treat, or even a special keepsake necklace will mean the world to any 2021 grad. Your gift will arrive via contactless delivery, just in time to celebrate their achievements.

Here’s a few of our favorite picks from the graduation flower and gift collection.

Congratulations Assorted Roses

A vibrant bouquet of bright, beautiful roses is a quintessential graduation gift. This festive arrangement conveys your congratulations in a meaningful way, and the pops of color will bring a smile to any grad’s face. Bonus points if the flowers arrive early so they can be displayed prominently during a virtual celebration!

Graduation Artisan Iced Cookies

Fresh-baked artisan cookies iced with graduation decorations are sure to please! They’ll appreciate the detail on the graduation cap, balloons, stars, and more – but not for long! These delicious butter cookies will be eaten up in short order. Choose from a set of five or set of eight scrumptious treats.

Congrats Succulents — Lovely Lavender Medley

Lovely Lavender Medley

One of the most elegant arrangements from the collection, this lavender-hued medley would make such a special gift for a daughter, granddaughter, or niece who is graduating. The delicate white roses are surrounded by purple blooms and greenery, making for a distinguished bouquet. Don’t forget to add a heartfelt message to tell them just how proud you are.

Congrats Succulents by Lula’s Garden

Succulents are a trendy plant and they’re easy to care for. This little trio of succulents from Lula’s Garden come in a simple box that actually doubles as a planter, so no messy transplanting is needed.

Brunch at Home

A fancy post-graduation brunch may look a bit different this year, but the tradition doesn’t have to end! Whip up a delicious spread of pastries, crepes, omelets, or even a waffle bar at home. If that sounds a bit labor-intensive, order something delicious from a local restaurant. You can opt for a laid-back pajama brunch or dress up to the nines and use the opportunity to take some family photos and pictures of the graduate! Whatever you decide on, you can be sure it will be a meal to remember.

Congratulations to the class of 2021!

It’s no secret – the high school and college graduating classes of 2021 are full of dedicated, resilient individuals whose adaptability (exacerbated by finishing their senior year during a pandemic) will take them far in life.

From sending gifts to telling them how proud you are, make your loved one’s virtual graduation celebration one to remember.

Caps off, graduates! The future belongs to you.

Honoring Those Lost to COVID with Floral Hearts

From recalling happy memories to celebrating a life well lived, Reimagining Grief, encourages you to rethink your understanding of grief. Whether you’re searching for ideas to honor a loved one, are seeking inspiration to brighten someone’s day, or are looking for supportive communities, our experts – from those who have experienced loss to professional therapists – are here to show you that positivity lives on. Through personal stories and uplifting videos, we’re here to guide you to a peaceful, pleasant mindset.

When I lay a floral heart, I’m doing it for the entire community impacted by COVID-19. I’m also doing it for the individuals who have reached out to share their COVID stories. In fact, hearing people’s individual stories has been one of the most meaningful parts of the Floral Heart Project experience. So often, I think the enormity of those lost can be staggering for us to grapple with. Just how many people is 200,000? It is two giant football stadiums. It’s 480,747 airplanes full of people. It’s 2/10s the population of the state of Rhode Island. Yet, any representative scale of people fails to acknowledge that it is 200,000 individual humans whose lives mean an incalculable amount to those around them.

When I laid the flowers in Washington Square Park, I did so in honor of Mama Hu. Mama Hu was my friend’s dear friend and before the COVID-19 lockdown they spent Valentine’s Day together. She had no idea that months later, she’d lose her. Wendy Hu was an immigrant, an entrepreneur, and a mother to the community. She was everyone’s family in her office and actually, everywhere. Her life touched my friend and those around her more than she likely ever knew.

The heart in Times Square was laid in honor of my friend Daniel’s brother-in-law who passed not from COVID but during the time of the COVID lockdown. He was a man with big dreams, ambition, and an extremely healthy lifestyle. It was a shock when they found he had a terminal illness. He passed relatively quickly and the family spent the lockdown in shock. They didn’t know how to mourn or grieve without those around them. And, yet, they figured it out. They hosted virtual shivas and brought those who otherwise would not have been able to attend a memorial service together via Zoom. Their adaptations created a sense of community that helped them to process the loss in a time of broad communal sadness.

When I laid flowers in Bryant Park, I did so for two people who both came to me via social media. Walter Robb and Ron Valdueza were both successful businessmen who left behind children and grandchildren when the virus took their lives too early. Their families shared how devastated they were by their inability to mourn communally and how they wanted to do something, be part of something, that could allow them to really honor the memory of those they have lost.

Next, I plan to build a floral heart with the community in Greeley Square as part of a silent vigil is for Isabelle Papadimitriou, the mother of Fiana Tulip. Isabelle was a flower loving nurse who passed just one week after battling a mild case of COVID-19. Her son and daughter are channeling their grief and anger into driving home the severity and realness of COVID-19 so fewer families are forced to endure the horrific loss of a loved one. They ask you to honor Isabelle’s life by wearing a mask, remaining socially distant, washing your hands, and staying inside as much as you can for yourself, for others, and especially for our healthcare heroes.

We lay floral hearts because we need to, because our community is suffering, and a living memorial to those lost is the least we can do to honor their lives. For every heart I lay, there are thousands of stories that I have not yet heard. But, I hope that for every person lost, you know that there is a heart that is specially placed for you.

songs with valentine in the title Musical Cheese Cutting Board and Tools Set — Musical Cheese Cutting Board and Tools Set

songs with valentine in the title Lion Heart Animated Plush With Sweet Treats — Lion Heart Animated Plush With Sweet Treats

songs with valentine in the title Engraved Friendship Floral Heart Music Box — Engraved Friendship Floral Heart Music Box

Easy Ways to Incorporate Mindfulness into Your Daily Life

Staying Connected features the many ways you can keep in touch with loved ones near and far. From stories highlighting generosity to tips on keeping in contact, we’ll bring you expert advice, inspiration, and ideas to help you maintain relationships with the people who matter most.

You may have heard of mindfulness—it’s become more popular in pop culture as well as in psychotherapy practices across the country. In fact, there’s growing evidence that it can help alleviate both anxiety and depression. The following tips will help you tackle your stress in these uncertain times while meaningfully connecting with loved ones.

How to practice mindfulness

Mindfulness practices are good for both managing and maintaining your mental health. These practices, with origins in eastern religion and philosophy, have been studied by researchers and are shown to help with stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and depression. Mindfulness is anything that allows you to be fully aware of the facets of the body and mind.

If you’re like most of us and aren’t used to slowing down to pay close and careful attention to the world, it can be challenging to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine. But with the changing landscape, which is keeping us closer to home, now is the perfect time to take a break from the hectic routine and become aware of all that surrounds you.

The key to embracing mindfulness and embodying its principles is easier than you might imagine. However, the easiest way is simply to turn yourself into a keen observer of the world. The five senses— sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch—can help you connect with what’s around you and slow down so that you can experience and live in the moment.

It’s important to slow down and notice your environment to fully appreciate the world.

Many of us are usually so focused on our immediate obligations—work, school, kids—that we know the world around us only as a backdrop. Often, it doesn’t even register. In these changing times, it’s important to slow down and notice your environment to fully appreciate the world. It can even help to fully appreciate your surroundings by describing to yourself what your senses are experiencing. When you draw attention to your role as an observer, the obligations and stresses become less pressing and seem to fade into the background.

If you’re looking for a place to start with mindfulness, here are some practices you can implement into your daily life.

Morning routine

During your morning routine, pick a task you can really focus on, like drinking your coffee, brushing your teeth, or blow drying your hair, and do your best to use all five senses to pay attention to this task. Focus on what the task sounds, looks, feels, smells, or tastes like. Starting the day with a small task to focus on can help set your focus for the rest of the day.

Classic meditation

Finding a quiet space to sit and close your eyes—often referred to as classic meditation—can be practiced by focusing on your breath, counting to three between each inhale and exhale.

Distracted meditation

If sitting quietly with your eyes closed isn’t your cup of tea, a more “distracted” method of mindfulness might work best. Distracted mindfulness often includes a hobby or activity you enjoy. It could be anything that helps you block out the rest of the world, including things like reading, dancing, or taking a walk.

It’s important to remember that mindfulness can look different for everyone. For some, it could be breathing exercises, classic meditation or practices like yoga, but for others it might be painting, running outside, or playing video games.

Cultivating Gratitude and Staying Connected

If you’re interested in further exploring mindfulness practices, or other methods to better your mental health, many professional therapists are trained to help you implement these practices that will boost your mood and get you started on your journey toward better mental health.

How to Get into the Habit of Counting Your Blessings

In these times of uncertainty, it’s normal to feel uneasy and anxious. That’s why it’s important to practice positive thinking. Focusing on the good is one of the most effective ways to practice gratitude, so take some time to think about all the things you’re grateful for.

The proof of being positive

There’s been enough research on gratitude to convince people that practicing it is worth the time and investment. Focusing on the positive improves emotional, physical, and mental health. In fact, having a positive mindset lessens the frequency and intensity of depression and directly increase the happiness you experience in life.

By appreciating what you already have, you’ll feel more positive about your life.

Gratitude makes you happier

According to one study, journaling for just five minutes a day can increase your long-term happiness. By appreciating what you already have, you’ll feel more positive about your life. So as you’re spending more time indoors, take a break from the TV and social media and take time out to practice this important self-care activity.

Showing appreciation draws others to you

An environment where you have more time to spend with your family, and to FaceTime or call friends, makes the perfect opportunity to strengthen your bonding skills. Gratitude generates social capital, or a stronger and wider social network of meaningful relationships. It can make you happier, more trusting, more social, and more appreciative. All of this can help you make more friends and deepen your existing relationships.

Being thankful makes you healthier

Studies prove that those who practice counting their blessings regularly experience improved sleep and reduced blood pressure. They are also more likely to exercise. Long walks and bike rides in the fresh air or indoor dance parties can work wonders!

Gratitude makes you mentally and emotionally stronger

Being thankful improves self-esteem, enhances positive emotions, and increases your overall well-being. When you’re grateful for what you have, you’re less likely to look outside for approval or compare yourself to others.

How to be grateful every day

Counting your blessings is easy and it doesn’t cost a thing. Here are some ways you can get started.

Set aside time each week to write at least five things you’re grateful for
Sit down to write a thank you letter, even if it’s to yourself. You don’t have to send it, but you can look back on it and reflect on your feelings of gratitude.
Call someone to tell them how grateful you are to have them in your life. Short on time? Send a text. Even a simple gesture can mean so much.
Start replacing all the negative words in your life with positive ones. You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference it can make.

When you acknowledge your appreciation for others as well as yourself, you’ll start to see what a true gift gratitude can be!

4 Simple Ways to Nurture Your Most Important Relationships

“Staying Connected” features the many ways you can keep in touch with loved ones near and far. From stories highlighting generosity to tips on keeping in contact, we’ll bring you expert advice, inspiration, and ideas to help you maintain relationships with the people who matter most.

Showing gratitude is invaluable for all your relationships. But the busier life gets, the more challenging it can be to nurture the bonds you share with others — including yourself. Although we’ve been living through tough times, now is a great opportunity to strengthen your relationships with loved ones. From small to big gestures, there are many ways to let your family and friends know how much you appreciate them.

When it comes to staying in touch, living in a digital world has its advantages. Whether you get together on Zoom, send a text, post on Facebook to say hello, or write out a thoughtful e-mail, reaching out is simple and can go a long way in letting someone know they’re on your mind.

Go old-school with a handwritten letter or card

When was the last time you sat down and practiced your penmanship? Help revive the art of letter writing and reach out to the people you love. Surprise them with a handwritten letter or card. (Bonus: everyone loves getting something other than bills in the mail!)

Send a little something…or a big something

Reaching out doesn’t have to cost a thing, but sometimes a well-chosen gift can make someone’s day. If you can’t think of something to give, we’re here to help with empathy gifts for any sentiment you want to express.

Stay connected with yourself

Staying connected with yourself is easy to do because the only person it requires is you. Below is a list to get you started.

Meditate
Enjoy nature
Read a book
Listen to music, an audiobook, or a podcast
Do a solo activity at home, such as organizing or a DIY project
Exercise, including at-home workouts
Download a self-help app
Become a plant parent
Feng Shui your home

Empathy gifts to show you care

We can all use a little more kindness in the world. Shop our empathy gifts collection for empathetic gifts to let your friends and family know you’re thinking of them.

Bearington Angel Bear and Guardian Angel Pin

Why We Should Have a Living COVID Memorial

From recalling happy memories to celebrating a life well lived, our series, Reimagining Grief, encourages you to rethink your understanding of grief. Whether you’re searching for ideas to honor a loved one, are seeking inspiration to brighten someone’s day, or are looking for supportive communities, our experts — from those who have experienced loss to professional therapists — are here to show you that positivity lives on. Through personal stories and uplifting videos, we’re here to guide you to a peaceful, pleasant mindset.

Before I even started the Floral Heart Project, I was thinking about the need to build a COVID memorial. People argued that it was too early to have the conversation, and they were probably right. But, now, as we reach over 200,000 deaths from COVID-19 in America, we need to start thinking more about the impact that these deaths will have on our society and what we can do to help our community moving forward. One way to do this is to provide visual and physical aids that help people to see those lost and to show support for their suffering and hope for the future.

A Guide to Funeral Flowers and Floral Sympathy Rituals Around the World

Floral hearts are an act of sympathy and solidarity that I created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic moment. However, there are numerous practices around the world where floral creations are used to express sympathy, blessing, and solidarity. In these moments, flowers serve as a poignant reminder of life.

There are different forms of floral sympathy displays

Flower displays at funerals that can take a number of forms, including:

Casket spray, which is a floral arrangement that sits on top of a casket.
Floral arrangements, which are any type of floral arrangement including baskets and cut flowers.
Garlands, which are flowers strung together that in some religious and cultural traditions are placed inside a casket.
Interior arrangements, which are small floral arrangements inside the casket.
Sprays, which are floral arrangements that are often viewed from only one side.
Wreaths, which are floral arrangements that are often put on a stand and may represent an eternal life.

The choice of colors for flowers in these arrangements is also driven by culture and while many in North America think of black as a funeral color, around the globe these colors range from gray to purple to white.

Sympathy rituals in Hawaiian cultures

In Hawaiian cultures, a wreath or lei (traditional floral garland) is placed over a photo of the person who has passed and on their coffin and, occasionally, leis are also placed in areas that were important to the deceased or cast into the water. Concurrently, mourners wear a lei during the funeral and the family members of the deceased will place a garland over each person who attends the burial ceremony.

Sympathy rituals in Mexican cultures

In Mexican culture, on November 1 and 2, locals celebrate the Day of the Dead or Dias de los Muertos using the cempoalxochitl flower. This flower, also called the flower of the dead, is given as a sign of respect to the souls of those who have died. Additionally, participants will put flowers alongside other offerings, such as bread and tequila, before they light a candle. The intent is that the fragrance of the flower guides the soul of the deceased to the afterlife.

Sympathy rituals in the United States

Historically, in the Midwestern United States, funerals include a role for the flower lady. Like pall bearers, these women had a formal role. However, instead of carrying the casket this group of (typically six) women would carry the flowers from the place of the funeral to a vehicle, and then would assist in setting them up at the cemetery. Flower ladies were chosen with great care and were usually close friends of the family.

For many cultures and traditions, it’s normal to give flowers at a funeral or memorial service for those who have passed away. If you’re curious as to which flowers to give, consider the below guide.

Sympathy rituals in Asian cultures

Chrysanthemums are the traditional flower for grief in Asian ceremonies. White and yellow are appropriate colors; red would be traditionally considered inappropriate. Flowers and food are often placed near the casket during the funeral service. However, there are many versions of Asian cultural practices and it is best to check with the family to ensure you are following appropriate etiquette. Here are a few additional nuances for cultural practices:

Baha’i: Flowers are considered an appropriate gift.
Buddhist: White flowers are traditionally considered an appropriate gift.
Hindu: Flowers are not traditionally part of the Hindu tradition of mourning. Instead, the family arranges for garlands and sprays of flowers to be placed inside the casket.

Sympathy rituals in Christian cultures

Catholic: Flowers are generally an accepted and appreciated aspect of a Catholic funeral and are incorporated into the vigil, wake, and burial service. All colors of flowers are accepted.
Eastern Orthodox: Flowers may be sent to the funeral home, and there is often an emphasis on white flowers.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons: Flowers are appreciated and can be in any variety of colors, except they should not include a cross or crucifix, which may be traditional in other Christian religions.
Protestant faiths: Flowers are generally appreciated and incorporated into the funeral and memorial services. All colors of flowers are accepted.

Sympathy rituals in Islamic cultures

There are varying practices concerning the placement of flowers for Islamic services. While flowers may be appropriate for some families, they may be inappropriate for others and a local religious leader or family should be consulted. If flowers are appropriate, roses and other fragrant traditions are especially popular, and palm branches and individual flowers are often placed on gravesites.

Sympathy rituals in Jewish cultures

Flowers are not appropriate for Jewish shiva services or burial practices. Fruit and food baskets are traditionally sent instead.

Floral practices are as diverse as traditional mourning practices around the globe and highlight the unique and fascinating ways that communities consider and engage with death. While not a floral funeral tradition, in the Philippines, Tinguians dress bodies in their best clothes, sit them on a chair, and place a lit cigarette in their lips. The Malagasy people of Madagascar have a famous ritual called “famadihana,” or “the turning of the bones.”

During the Malagasy ritual, every five or seven years, the family holds a celebration in their ancestral crypt. At the celebration, the bodies — wrapped in cloth — are exhumed and sprayed with wine or perfume. What may seem strange, odd, or funny to you is likely profoundly moving for another community. To make sure you don’t offend, it’s always best to call ahead and ask about their preferences — floral or otherwise — and adhere to local custom.

Why We Need Community in Moments of Mourning Now More Than Ever

From recalling happy memories to celebrating a life well lived, our new series, Reimagining Grief, encourages you to rethink your understanding of grief. Whether you’re searching for ideas to honor a loved one, are seeking inspiration to brighten someone’s day, or are looking for supportive communities, our experts – from those who have experienced loss to professional therapists – are here to show you that positivity lives on. Through personal stories and uplifting videos, we’re here to guide you to a peaceful, pleasant mindset.

When I created my first floral heart, I didn’t know why I was doing it. I simply felt compelled to do something for those dying from COVID-19 and for those around me who were suffering. However, as I have spent the last many months engaged in deep study on the rituals around death and dying, I’ve come to better understand the role that community can play in moments of tragedy. Community mourning makes death more tolerable.

Discussing death in America

In American culture, death and mortality feel like largely taboo topics. Of American’s top ten fears “people I love dying” and “people I love becoming seriously ill” rank as number six and number nine. Psychologists argue that discussing death now ranks as one of the top issues we feel are unacceptable to discuss in polite company. Yet, doctors are extremely vocal about the fact that “our collective silence about death, suffering and mortality places a tremendous burden on the people we love, and on the doctors and nurses navigating these conversations,” according to an article by The New York Times.

Nearly 1% of Americans die each year, and this year hundreds of thousands of people will die due to COVID-19 in America. Given the impact on our society, it’s time we feel not only comfortable speaking about death, but learn ways to support those who are experiencing deaths in their lives.

Expressive grieving

When we communally accept dying as a natural occurrence of human life and work to make moments of death more comforting, we improve the experience of death for everyone. Doctor L.S. Dugdale, in her newest book The Lost Art of Dying, shares that historically, “neighbor women would gather at the bedside, together with the family, to comfort and mourn. Once the sick had died, the women joined the kin in public displays of grief.” These public acts of grief involved music, food, drinks and games. The social aspect of these customs kept death public and “tame” through the enactment of familiar ceremonies that comforted mourners.

Globally, many cultures continue to have expressive grieving rituals from jazz parade funerals in the American South, to Irish “merry” wakes, to death wailing ceremonies in Tanzania and elsewhere. Americans have funeral processions and shivas and various other cultural mourning practices. However, in the pandemic many of these have been postponed or discarded over fear of public gathering. When our traditional practices are prohibited, we must find other ways to show communal recognition of lives lost.

Delivering comfort through art

Rituals that let us support our community in recognizing the death of a loved one help individuals and their communities make sense of loss. One way that I to do this is through the creation of floral hearts. Their scale and appearance in public places is my way of showing solidarity with those in grief and providing the hope that together we can overcome this moment. The more I have created, the more they have become my ritual of mourning and my expression of solidarity. I believe these sorts of acts help us to improve the fabric of our community, at large.

Moving Forward: Understanding and Reimagining Loss

When my high school boyfriend’s sister died, I remember watching their family suffer through the moment in a sort of catatonic blindness. His mother sobbed in grief. His father sat numbly. The other siblings walked around silent, crying and reckless. None of us had the vocabulary or familiarity with death to understand and mourn the sudden loss of a child — and perhaps no one ever does. However, I do believe that if we all had had more conversations about death, more familiarity with death, and more understanding of the grieving process, the moment would have been different.

A death-denying culture

dying with sympathy fruit basket — Wishing You Peace Sympathy Fruit Basket

Americans don’t want to talk about death: in fact, America is considered a death-denying culture. The well-known bioethicist George Annas described it further noting that America’s death-denying culture “cannot accept death as anything but defeat…we are utterly unable to prepare for death.” Death is not defeat. Death is the most universal part of the human experience. Yet, our inability to accept death means that we lack the basic skills needed to address it when it happens. Our fear of death leads to avoidance which makes situations related to death worse for everyone.

dying with sympathy flowers — Classic All White Arrangement for Sympathy

The way to address our underlying fear of death isn’t by avoiding the topic. Instead, we need to become more comfortable with it. The way to become more comfortable with it is to have open conversations about death and dying that include telling stories about dying, reading obituaries, and learning about various traditions related to death. It, also, means learning how to live.

Prior to the start of the twentieth century, there were widely circulated books, called ars moriendi, about how to both live and die well. However, following WWII, these books fell out of favor in Europe and North America to be replaced by an over-emphasis on being alive. The result: an obsession with living made death off limits.

Changing how we think about death

dying with Kristina Libby Flowers by Water

Like all massive swings, we have simply shifted too far in our response to dying. we need to swing back to a more normalized view. This normalization is a moral necessity. A culture that cannot accept the inevitability of death will run from it in blind fear. That fear will tear at the fabric of society and the people within it.

One of the ways to change the way we think and talk about death is to change the visual and written depictions of death. The Floral Heart Project uses flower hearts to memorialize those who have died. It’s colorful, natural, and focuses on comfort rather than more prototypical death depictions. Similarly, when we talk about death and dying, we can talk not just about the end of someone’s life, but also the community around them, the hallmarks of a life well loved, and how to help heal the community that has been impacted by their passing.

dying with memorial candle — In Memory of a Life So Beautifully Lived Candle

Discussing death and moving forward

When my boyfriend’s sister died, it was important to remember her but it was equally important to find a way to care for, recognize, and share love with the people who remained. If we take the time to understand and discuss dying, we are not being morbid. Rather, we are being active and aware participants in our community because we understand that death will happen, and after it has, the most important thing we can do is to take care of the living. The best way to quell the fear of dying is to live a life that acknowledges it, respects it, and continues to thrive despite it. Beyond that, it’s to build a community that helps each other through the natural cycles of being human.