One of the most compelling portions of the inaugural festivities was, without a doubt, on January 19. On the eve of the inauguration, the President and Vice President-elect and their spouses gathered to remember the more than 400,000 Americans who’ve lost their lives to Covid-19. The simple, but impactful, ceremony took place at the reflecting …
In the last couple of months, two very high profile women (and their husbands) have made the heroic choice to publicly speak about the loss of a pregnancy. Chrissy Teigen and John Legend as well as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have both reached out to traditional and social media outlets to describe the …
Breaking the Silence: Straight Talk about Miscarriages Read More »
A couple of months ago, I was interviewed for a podcast. The discussion was mostly about my work as a wedding Celebrant. One of the interviewers ultimately guided the conversation to the issues of dying, death and funerals. She contended that our culture has been—and remains—ill-equipped to deal with end of life matters. While I …
Yesterday, as I took a long walk around Battery Park, in the far Southern part of Manhattan, I came upon a monument that I’d previously not noticed. Looking out towards the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, one is enveloped by a large eagle commemorating Americans who died in the Second World War. To each …
In her book Remembering Well: Rituals for Celebrating Life and Mourning Death, Sarah York says, “Death is the great equalizer, but not every death is equal.” The nearly 60,000+ Americans who have died due to the Covid-19 outbreak—and the families who mourn them—have had a very difficult death experience. Everything about this disease and the …
There is a breathtaking scene in the book and movie Tuesdays with Morrie, when a funeral, of sorts, is hosted at the home of the Professor, who is dying of ALS. The wonderful work written by the sports columnist Mitch Albom about his favorite college teacher at Brandeis University, offers the dying professor a chance, …
For generations, miscarriages have been a source of hidden grief for couples and families. Sadly, miscarriage is a relatively common occurrence. The New York City-based Seleni Institute estimates that one in four pregnancies is spontaneously aborted. In addition, 1 in every 160 births is still born. Friends and loved ones continue to grapple with comforting …
In the Jewish tradition an “unveiling” ceremony takes place about a year after a loved one’s passing. At graveside, the headstone of the deceased is revealed, among family members and friends and special prayers and remarks are offered. It publicly honors the departed and marks the end of a part of the mourning process. Although …
Our culture has great difficulty dealing with death. For those who’ve suffered miscarriages or the loss of a newborn, responses of friends and loved ones may seemingly minimize the overwhelming sense of grief, while professional resources are few and far between. One service,Now I Lay me Down to Sleep, provides a shining example of real …
At various points, I’ve written about the increasingly significant role of social media, allowing loved ones to accompany individuals, couples, and families through significant transitions during the life cycle, be it preparing for a wedding, anticipating an impending death, or facilitating grief in the mourning process. I’ve never seen a more beautiful unfolding of the …
