Be informed. Be inspired. Celebrate your loved one.
Karen Roldan 
It is hard to know what to say in difficult times. Even more so when someone you love is dying, this is a scary time for everyone involved.
What do you say? Do you just ignore it? What if you say something distressing? Is it ok to cry?
Read on to find some advice on saying the “right” words.
Your beloved armed forces veteran has passed on. How do you plan the perfect funeral to honor his or her memory?
You probably have a lot of questions. How do you schedule a military funeral? Which papers need to be signed and submitted? Is there a specific protocol you need to follow? Who is going to help you with all the government forms?
Read on, and I will walk you through the ins and outs of scheduling a military funeral.
The cremation timeline can vary from state to state, and even between funeral homes down the road from each other.
Still, you want to know: How long will the cremation take? When can you pick up the cremated remains? What will you do with the cremated remains once you have them back?
Death can be a confusing time. You have so many decisions to make, and you are working on a timeline.
Read on to find out the answer to these questions and more.
You have your loved one’s cremated remains back from the crematory. Now what? A lot of people struggle with what to do after the cremation is over.
Should you keep the cremated remains? Bury them? Scatter them? Do you need some help to make a decision?
Let’s find out about some great options for a final resting place.
Nothing is as stirring as a military funeral. It is a very patriotic and moving experience.
What is going to happen? Will there be a 21 gun salute? Will a rendition of Taps be played?
What is the difference between standard military funeral honors and full honors? If you don’t know what to expect, read on to find out.
But we’ll warn you – reading about a Military Honors Funeral and experiencing it are two very different feelings!
Are you or your spouse a veteran? If so, you have earned certain benefits through your service to the country.
What are burial benefits? How do you claim them? Who can claim the benefits? What other benefits can you collect?
Read on to find out all you need to know about burial benefits and how to claim them so that the veteran’s funeral is paid for.
Is it appropriate to toast a deceased loved one? The short answer is “Yes!”
But don’t stand up at the funeral with a bottle of whiskey in your hand. You will find yourself unceremoniously removed! The best place for the toast is usually after the funeral. Save your toast for the reception, or for a private family gathering.
Still, you will want to be prepared if you are called on to give a memorial toast. What should you say?
What is Victorian mourning jewelry? How did this trend start, and do people still wear it today?
The broad appeal mourning jewelry holds might be surprising: It can be the hard-core skeleton and casket jewelry favored by Goth types or the soft cherub-winged and heartfelt pendants that your Willow Tree loving auntie might adore.
Read on to discover examples of both modern and traditional pieces of mourning jewelry, a truly meaningful history, and how you can honor your loved one with this beautiful style of memorial jewelry.
What is collective grief, and what causes it? How – and why – do we grieve as a community, a country, or even the world?
I can think of a couple of significant events. COVID-19 and 9/11 come to mind. What about the bush fires in Australia, Hurricane Eta in Central America, and the flash floods in Afghanistan?
Some disasters happen on a smaller scale. Local communities can have a fire, flooding, community violence (school shooting), or even a terrible storm (Hurricane Katrina).
Is your community equipped to help the grieving? Where do you go, and what do you do when there is collective grief?
Read on and learn how to cope with what is going on in our world today.
How do you collect cremated remains after cremation? What happens to unclaimed ashes?
People often have questions about how the cremation process works, plus how and when they can expect to get the ashes back. There are other questions, too: Can I have a family member pick up the remains? What if a family member tries to claim the ashes, but I don’t want them to?
We have the answers to all these and more below.