A Week’s Worth of Interesting Death News

Jan 26, 2018 | 0 comments

Reading NewsOver the past week, I’ve seen some interesting news stories and opinion pieces on death, cleaning up after “lonely” deaths in Japan, what cremated remains mean to us, clutter clearing, dementia-specific advance directives, and a TED talk video on the importance of talking about your death while you are still healthy. Click on the headlines to read each story.

Death: The Greatest Teacher Lion’s Roar January 12, 2018 by Judy Leif — The Buddha said the greatest of all teachings is impermanence. Its final expression is death. Buddhist teacher Judy Lief explains why our awareness of death is the secret of life. It’s the ultimate twist.

Psychic funeral celebrant claims dead people contact her from beyond the grave to arrange their own send offs Daily Mail.com January 17, 2018 by Siofra Brennan — This celebrant gets text messages from angels on her mobile phone and visits from the Dearly Departed. She knows about specific music and readings before the family contacts her to do a service.

I was getting buried in clutter. Here’s how I finally got free. Washington Post January 17, 2018 by Valerie Peterson — People who need help with downsizing and fans of Marie Kondo and The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning will appreciate the tips in this article.

One Day Your Mind May Fade. At Least You’ll Have a Plan. New York Times January 19, 2018 by Paula Span — If you are concerned about your mind going before your body does, this article on dementia-specific advance medical directives which change at each phase of mild, moderate to severe dementia, is well worth your consideration.

Cleaning Up After The Dead: So many Japanese people die alone there’s a whole industry devoted to cleaning up after them. Washington Post January 24, 2018 by Anna Fifield — For those who fear dying alone at home and not being discovered for months, you might want to skip this story.

What Do Our Ashes Mean to Us? New York Times January 24, 2018 by Jennifer Finney Bolyan — An opinion piece that shows how ambivalent so many Americans can be about cremated remains.

This TED Talk by Michelle Knox, “Talk About Your Death While You’re Still Healthy,” resonates with my motto: “Just like talking about sex won’t make you pregnant, talking about funerals and end-of-life issues won’t make you dead.” Watch now and share!

 

A Good Goodbye