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The Security of Rules

Death. Unknowable. Unmanageable. Inescapable... Thus, the rules. Melissa Dribben reflects on the human need for security and order in the wake of death. Originally published February 2008 on Obi… View »

What to Expect When You Are Expecting to Die

Don't have a living will or advanced directive? You should, says physician, legislator and author Dr. Dan Morhaim. Originally published January 2012 on Obit-Mag.com, Obit-Mag's Krishna Andavolu… View »

Hospice Care Does Not Hasten Death

Studies find that terminally ill people in hospice care live at least as long as those not receiving palliative care. Originally published May 2011 on Obit-Mag.com. A Korean study of te… View »

Looking for the Dead

Tracing your family tree is easier than it used to be, thanks to technology. Thomas MacEntee takes a look at websites, mobile apps and other genealogy resources available today. Origin… View »

Play Me, Honey, One More Time

Joyce Gemperlein takes a look at a unique way to remember your loved ones with a song. Originally published November 2010 on Obit-Mag.com. One of the latest ways to pay homage t… View »

Making Something Out of Nothing

Author Aaron Hamburger wonders how long is too long to grieve and reflects on how his understanding of mourning has evolved since the death of his father. Originally published June 2010 on… View »

Legacy Letter Example 2: A grandmother's letter to her grandchildren

There are several key elements in a contemporary spiritual-ethical will. First, it’s important to differentiate legacy writing from memoir or spiritual autobiography. Though the content may be simila… View »

Legacy Letter Example 1: Barack Obama to his daughters, 1-18-09

The spiritual-ethical will or "legacy letter" is a miraculous healing tool. More broadly, many of us realize that life is fragile, that we do not control the number of our days. We feel a sense… View »

The Spiritual-Ethical Will: A Legacy Letter

People resonate with the themes, but find the term “ethical will” difficult. I began to refer to this document as the “spiritual-ethical will” and more recently as “legacy letters.” There are several… View »

Dating After Death: How I Knew I was Ready

By Jennifer Hawkins I was thirty-nine years old when my husband died unexpectedly in his sleep. It was the shock of a lifetime. He was my love, my rock, a crucial part of my life and our… View »