Can Animals Help You Grieve?

Can Animals Help You Grieve?

Grieving the loss of a loved one looks different for everyone. Each person has their own unique needs and ways of coping with a loss. But did you know that interacting with animals can actually help you grieve? Whether you feel overwhelmed by stress, struggle to keep...

Spending Time in Nature Can Help Heal Grief

Spending Time in Nature Can Help Heal Grief

A grief support client recently told me her life and body no longer felt “real” since the death of two siblings and her father within the past year. The sensation of not feeling fully “real” or “there” is common during the initial mourning period. To help grief...

What is the Difference Between Grief and Mourning?

What is the Difference Between Grief and Mourning?

Grief is Internal While they are often used interchangeably, the words grief and mourning contain a subtle but important difference. The term grief refers to our thoughts and feelings on the inside. After the loss of loved one, our initial, private response is grief....

The Value of Vigils

The Value of Vigils

Things happen in this world that break our hearts. In many cases, there’s nothing we personally could have done to prevent the events from occurring. Loosing lives, and in the midst of it all, as human beings, we must stand together and mourn together. This is why...

National Grief Awareness Day

National Grief Awareness Day

There is no right or wrong way to grieve. Grief affects us all and changes us all, for it's the price we pay for love. If you are looking for additional resources for coping with grief, please give us a call. #GriefAwarenessDay

 					4 Reasons to Keep Your Beneficiaries Up to Date

 4 Reasons to Keep Your Beneficiaries Up to Date

Wouldn’t it be great if estate planning was a “one and done” type of task? If life came without change, then it could be, but we all know change is inevitable. That’s why it’s so important to update your estate plan needs over time, too. While it may seem like a...

Grave Money: Why do some tombstones have coins on them?

Grave Money: Why do some tombstones have coins on them?

Have you ever been in a cemetery and saw coins laying on a headstone? A coin left on a headstone lets the deceased soldier’s family know that somebody stopped by to pay their respect. A penny means you visited. A nickel means you and the deceased veteran trained at...

Top 15 Bible Verses for a Celebration of Life Service

Top 15 Bible Verses for a Celebration of Life Service

A Christian funeral service is not complete without a few readings from scripture. Readings can help mourners process the loss and find meaning in the midst of pain. Additionally, the Bible is full of verses that give hope to the hopeless, comfort to the grieving, and...

Choosing Between Hope and Grief

Choosing Between Hope and Grief

Feeling hope and grief may seem like opposites. Believe it or not, you don’t have to choose between hope and grief. It is normal to be in the midst of your grief and find hope there. It is also okay to feel so hopeful and still feel the pain of your grief.  Hope is...

National Heart Month

National Heart Month

While Heart disease is the #1 killer in the U.S., there are steps you can take to keep your heart healthy and strong. #HeartMonth

Tips for Supporting a Grieving Friend at Halloween

Tips for Supporting a Grieving Friend at Halloween

It’s Halloween. Costumes are coming out, parties are being planned, and thousands of pounds of candy is flying off the shelves across the nation. But even as people revel in the changing of the seasons and the fun of dressing up, we can’t forget that many of our...

How to Preserve Your Funeral Roses and Make Meaningful Mementos

How to Preserve Your Funeral Roses and Make Meaningful Mementos

Funeral roses are some of the most common flowers to give and receive when a loved one dies. Not only do they bring those who are grieving comfort, they also represent love and respect for the deceased.So, why should you only get to enjoy them for a short amount of...

Organizations to Notify When Your Loved One Dies

Organizations to Notify When Your Loved One Dies

Along with the grief that comes with losing a loved one, family members also take on the responsibility of notifying many organizations of their death. To make this process easier, we have provided a list of the most important organizations to contact when your loved...

What Do You Do When Someone Dies?

What Do You Do When Someone Dies?

If you’ve recently lost someone you love, you have our sincerest sympathies. For many of us, dealing with death and all the logistical and emotional details associated with it is unknown territory, and frankly, a little frightening. We ask ourselves, “What do you do...

Self-Care After Suicide Loss

Self-Care After Suicide Loss

Grief, in all its forms, is exhausting mentally, physically, and psychologically. In addition to all the emotions it stirs up, loss forces us into a life change – learning how to move forward without a loved one. For those who have lost a loved one to suicide, there...

Funeral Procession Etiquette and Guidelines

Funeral Procession Etiquette and Guidelines

Most of us have either witnessed or been part of a funeral procession. The images are somber and moving, alerting the entire community that one of their own has died. Growing up in small-town Iowa, I remember more than a few occasions when my parents pulled over our...

Do something today that you future self will thank you for.

Do something today that you future self will thank you for.

You won't regret making the decision to pre-plan your funeral and neither will your children. Give us a call or visit our website for more information on how you can take care of this today so your children won't have to worry about it. #PlanAhead

Healing from your grief is not easy.

Healing from your grief is not easy.

Healing from your grief is not easy. It’s a long, sometimes painful process. We want to help you on your journey toward recovery. Here are some suggestions that can make a big difference in your progress toward healing: Build a support team Don’t try to go through the...

7 ways to Celebrate Memorial Day 2020 at Home

7 ways to Celebrate Memorial Day 2020 at Home

Memorial Day is an annual day meant to honor and remember military personnel who died in service to their country. Celebrations for the holiday, which occurs on the last Monday in May, won’t look like they have in prior years, however, due to the ongoing coronavirus...