Remembering Well offers family members, clergy, funeral professionals, and hospice workers ways to plan services and rituals that honor the spirit of the deceased and are faithful to that person's values and beliefs, while also respecting the needs and wishes of those who will attAnd the services. It is an essential resource for anyone who yearns to put death in a spiritual context but is unsure how to do so-including both those who have broken with tradition and those who wish to give new meaning to the time-honored rituals of their faith. The real-life stories, examples, and practical guidelines in this book address a wide array of important issues, including the difficult decisions that survivors must make quickly when a death occurs-and the sensitive topic of family alienation, where possibilities for healing, forgiveness, and hope are explored. The invaluable insights offered here will help those who grieve to prepare mind and spirit for life's final rites of passage.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A special 25th anniversary edition of the beloved book that has changed millions of lives with the story of an unforgettable friendship, the timeless wisdom of older generations, and healing lessons on loss and grief—featuring a new afterword by the author “A wonderful book, a story of the heart told by a writer with soul.”—Los Angeles Times “The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.” Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was his college professor Morrie Schwartz. Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldn’t you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger? Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man’s life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final “class”: lessons in how to live. “The truth is, Mitch,” he said, “once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.” Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie’s lasting gift with the world.
Join Andrew Botieri as he takes you on the rollercoaster ride of his near-death experience and miracle of survival from a rare autoimmune disease called Scleroderma. Doctors held out no hope, but when this life-changing medical crisis challenged his very existence, Andrew called on his positive attitude, perseverance, and faith, as well as the prayers and support of friends and family, past and present, to will himself through. Along the way you?re introduced to the skills and talents of Andrew: the sales virtuoso, publishing golden boy, and self-proclaimed workaholic. He amassed star-performer awards and numerous accreditations until his near-death experience helped him reassess what is truly important in life. As he reveals his own secrets of success and lessons learned, his poignant wake-up call will guide you through your own introspective re-evaluation of life balance and what is important.
Parting Ways explores the emergence of new end-of-life rituals in America that celebrate the dying and reinvent the roles of family and community at the deathbed. Denise Carson contrasts her father’s passing in the 1980s, governed by the structures of institutionalized death, with her mother’s death some two decades later. Carson’s moving account of her mother’s dying at home vividly portrays a ceremonial farewell known as a living wake, showing how it closed the gap between social and biological death while opening the door for family and friends to reminisce with her mother. Carson also investigates a variety of solutions--living funerals, oral ethical wills, and home funerals--that revise the impending death scenario. Integrating the profoundly personal with the objectively historical, Parting Ways calls for an "end of life revolution" to change the way of death in America.
New York Times Bestseller • Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize • An Oprah's Book Club Selection “Powerful . . . [Kingsolver] has with infinitely steady hands worked the prickly threads of religion, politics, race, sin and redemption into a thing of terrible beauty.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review The Poisonwood Bible, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, established Barbara Kingsolver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers. Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, it is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in Africa. The story is told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it—from garden seeds to Scripture—is calamitously transformed on African soil. The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. Against this backdrop, Orleanna Price reconstructs the story of her evangelist husband's part in the Western assault on Africa, a tale indelibly darkened by her own losses and unanswerable questions about her own culpability. Also narrating the story, by turns, are her four daughters—the teenaged Rachel; adolescent twins Leah and Adah; and Ruth May, a prescient five-year-old. These sharply observant girls, who arrive in the Congo with racial preconceptions forged in 1950s Georgia, will be marked in surprisingly different ways by their father's intractable mission, and by Africa itself. Ultimately each must strike her own separate path to salvation. Their passionately intertwined stories become a compelling exploration of moral risk and personal responsibility.
Why celebration of Life? It is called celebration of life in recognition of a departed member of our community and all the children of God in this world who left this world to join the creator in Heaven. Whether it is called wake or wake-keeping all gears towards the provision of a service prior to burial in a social gathering. Traditionally, this is done at the home of the deceased with the body present. Recently wakes are often performed at a funeral home or at a hall preferably chosen by the members of the deceased family. It is often a social rite which highlights the fact that the loss affects the whole group. The term “wake” originally referred to a late-night prayer vigil, which is mostly used for the social interaction. While this modern usage of the verb “wake” means to stay alert. A wake for the dead harks back to the vigil, “watch” or “guard” of earlier times. It is a misconception that people at wake are waiting in case the deceased should wake up. The term “wake” originated from the Middle English “waken”.
Inman presents the story of one POWUs life journey since the Korean War, including his 34 months as a POW who survived torture and beatings, and learned that life was to be celebrated, not lamented. (Social Issues)
“...Literally took my breath away... Beautifully written and descriptive, I was right there on Chad’s journey. An American Memoir of life that reminds you what’s important, the human heart being one of them. A 5-star read I highly recommend.” -Matt D., New York, New York “From NY to Malibu, heart screenings to homeless soccer tourneys in Austria, the purpose emerges loud and clear - to save the Lives of those who still have a chance at a future. It is crucial to raise awareness for mandatory heart screenings for young athletes! Many testimonials of families affected by sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) won't leave you indifferent. This book is truly a work of Love, filled with tears and laughter, pain and loss, and most of all hope!” -Olena, Los Angeles, California Chad Alan Butrum loved sports. One day he went out to play football in LA and it would be his last game; he died of Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes. He was just 26 years old. His artist mother Arista takes us on a journey of Love, Life and Laughter, as the young family forges new dreams in Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Malibu, and New York City. After Chad’s sudden loss to SCD, she discovers through his colleagues at Carolco Pictures the young man Chad was becoming - the promise of a talented creative writer who touched the lives of many people in his short Life. He loved all people- any age, heritage, or orientation. In Part II, the author transcends loss into a quest to save lives by founding the non-profit organization, The Chad Foundation for Athletes and Artists, to safeguard young hearts so they can live long, healthy Lives and reach their most cherished dreams. It also inspires youth to live as Chad did- anti-substance abuse and alcohol-free, Healthy Body/Mind/ Spirit. The Chad Foundation Cardiovascular Screening Program has provided 8,000 Echocardiograms/ECGS in 5 states and, globally, in Austria and Sweden. Many parents who have also lost children to SCD, share their heartfelt stories within underscoring the critical importance of raising awareness of Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young, implementing preventive heart screenings, knowledge of CPR, and placement of AEDs. It is a journey of the Heart and the discovery that The Heart is the Home of our two greatest gifts—Love and Life—and must be safeguarded as our most valued possession.
Honor and remember loved ones on the Day of the Dead with this beautifully illustrated Little Golden Book about the holiday. Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos in Spanish, is a happy celebration. The Mexican holiday is a time to welcome back loved ones who are no longer with us. This is done with offerings of favorite foods, brightly colored marigolds, sugar skulls, and more. This Little Golden Book is a great read-aloud for families that celebrate Day of the Dead, as well as for those who want to learn more about it.
