Welcome to winter. December 21 was the longest night of the year and the Winter Solstice. Now the days will — slowly at first — start to get longer.
Grief and mourning is a lot like this time of year. Emotionally, it’s darkness and cold. Yet in darkness we can enjoy the twinkling lights of the season. We may treasure light and life that much more, at least in small doses.
Eventually, we will return to the longer days of spring and summer, with their growing daylight and warmth. Eventually, the pain of loss changes and softens. We move out of the valley of the shadow of death, but that shadow will continue to follow us as long as we stand in light.
I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. While you are together with those you love over the holidays, it won’t kill you to discuss your end-of-life wishes, and your family will benefit from the conversation. Remember, talking about sex won’t make you pregnant, and talking about funerals won’t make you dead. Start a conversation today.
You might find this story about the craziest place I’ve spoken to be of interest. Yes, it’s the wild and wacky Frozen Dead Guy Days festival in Nederland, Colorado, and I’ll be back in March, 2016. Sponsors: let’s talk about how this event can benefit your business.
Links to recent blog posts and upcoming events follow. Please call if I can be of assistance with your personal training for funeral planning, final expense insurance, and Funeral Celebrant services – 505.265.7215.
Live long and prosper,
Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®
The Family Plot Blog Highlights
Click on the titles to read the blog post. Review all posts on The Family Plot Blog or view just the Death Cartoons posted on the blog!
[Video] Faking Your Funeral for the Holidays This ad for a German grocery store has 
been viewed millions of times online, to much conflicting response.
Holiday & Family-Friendly Funeral Planning Films You’ll be together, why not watch a funny film or TV show that can start face-to-face conversations about your ideal send-off?
Free Online Funeral Home Price Lists from Parting.com This website is sparking a revolution in online information about funeral pricing.
And check out this recent LinkedIn article: Cremation, Memorial Services and Trusted Advisors — how families are affected by a death when they don’t hold a memorial service.
Upcoming Events
Saturday, January 16, 2016, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Albuquerque Death Cafe at Gail Rubin’s home. More information here.
Saturday, January 23, 2016, 2:00 p.m. “Dying Doesn’t Have to be Expensive – Affordable Funeral Planning” – free talk at Cherry Hills Library, 6901 Barstow St NE, Albuquerque, NM. For more information call the library at (505) 857-8321.
Thursday, January 28, 2016, 10:00 a.m. “Talking About Sex Won’t Make You Pregnant, Talking About End-of-Life Won’t Make You Dead” – presentation to the retirees of the Eagle Federal Credit Union.
Saturday, February 13, 2016, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. “Laughing and Learning: A Practical End-of-Life Workshop,” presented by Gail Rubin and the Conscious Aging Network-New Mexico. The Laughing and Learning workshop will give you the tools and the inspiration to take practical steps for outlining your funeral plans/memorial celebration, drafting your own obituary and/or famous last words, and preparing advance medical directives. Funny film clips, supportive conversations and take-home printed materials are included in this workshop. Learn what you need to know BEFORE someone goes and dies. More information coming soon!
Sunday, February 21, 2016 “Jewish Funeral Traditions on Film” presented by Gail Rubin at the JCC of Greater Albuquerque’s annual A Taste of Honey Jewish learning event. More information coming soon!
“How many observe Christ’s birthday! How few, his precepts! O! ’tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments.” — Benjamin Franklin