I'm not a mom. I don't have any first-hand experience with the deep bond a parent feels for their child, or of the wrenching anguish that the death of a child brings. But I don't think I'm alone in understanding how horrific the loss of a child must be. And I can't have been the only reader who sobbed like their heart was breaking while reading Kimberly A. Condon's article "Approaching Death."…

Today, Random Acts of Kindness Week begins. We're observing the day by remembering a woman who helped set off a chain reaction of kind acts... and, of course, by performing kindnesses ourselves. Will you help spread kindness in the world this…

Explaining a tragedy to children isn't easy. Younger children may not be aware of a natural disaster or other tragic event, but older children in the affected area and across the U.S. are likely to hear about it. If you have an older child, one old enough to surf the web or read the news, you may find yourself fielding questions about where and why and what if. Here are some resources from Legacy.com,…

Today, October 15, is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. It's a type of loss that may not always be fully understood, even by the parents' closest friends and family. That's why we and other support groups are bringing attention to it today – both to help our readers understand the devastation that comes with the loss of a pregnancy or an infant, and to show those…

Here at Legacy.com, the many men and women who die of breast cancer each year are always remembered. Whether it's through the hundreds of obituaries we publish every month for people who died from breast cancer, or from our own memories of family members and friends who fought the disease, there's no doubt that breast cancer awareness is an integral part of our work.



Today, as Breast Cancer…

On June 24, I received a text message from my wife: "Problem with Gabe. Come home." When I reached home a few minutes later, my worst nightmare became a horrible reality. Gabe had jumped from the balcony of his apartment on the 59th floor of Marina City. Our beautiful, loving son was…

Most of us know that it's a good idea to have a will. Many consult estate planning experts or attorneys to help us preserve, distribute or dissolve assets following our death. We also may create lists to help our loved ones know what to do and how to handle our affairs if we become incapacitated. Or, at least, we mean to.



But do our loved…

As Memorial Day nears, we're remembering men and women who served in the armed forces. We also remember the families left to grieve.



Honor the memory of a loved one who served. Share a photo of your beloved veteran…

This
Mother's Day weekend, we will be remembering those who are missing their mothers and grandmothers, and all the bereaved mums missing their children.

Find community and support on LegacyConnect, as well as helpful advice and thoughtful reflections from Legacy.com's…

For many of us, our circle of loved ones is not limited to humans. Often, we love our cats, dogs or rabbits as intensely as we do our dearest human companions. Our beloved animals are fast friends, part of the family. When my four-year-old tallies who's in our family, her list always includes 4 girls and 2 boys. That two of the girls use the litter box rather than the potty is…

Green living doesn't have to end with death. For the eco-conscious, there are an increasing number of options that allow you to continue helping the environment from beyond the grave. As Earth Day 2012 approaches on April 22, we look at a few of the trends in green burial and funerals. 



PBS Newshour recently looked at the documentary "Dying Green" and…

It seems like just yesterday that we heard the news of a terrible mass shooting at Virginia Tech. The recent, unrelated shooting of a security officer on campus served as yet another reminder of the earlier shootings. The tragedy remains fresh in our minds. 



Incredibly, it's been five years. On this anniversary, …

Living without a loved one can be heartbreaking any day of the year. But this is especially true on special occasions and holidays. When the ones we love are no longer with us, we may not feel much like celebrating. 



"We [grieve] for our beloved dead every single day," Dr. Joanne Cacciatore, board certified in bereavement trauma told…

In some ways, society has become a lot more integrated over the past few decades, with blacks and whites, Asians and Latinos, Jews and Muslims mingling more in school, at work, and in social settings. But when it comes to death, we tend to remain segregated, according to an article in the Chattanooga Times Free Press.



The way it plays out, white…

Grieving the death of a loved one and feeling depressed would seem to go hand in hand. Thus, the American Psychiatric Association has long warned against diagnosing depression in those who are recently bereaved. In fact, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists grief as an exception to the diagnosis of clinical depression. Now the APA is considering eliminating that exception. If they do,…

Lately, we've come across a lot of interesting and helpful articles on grief, and we wanted to share a few of them with you.

Grief Is Good



An article in the Utne Reader highlights reasons why grief is good. Funeral and mourning rituals are becoming more abbreviated, and the focus is…

When koolaidman2011 posted on Reddit.com to mark the one-year anniversary of proposing to the love of his life, more than 1,800 community members responded. Most were moved by koolaidman2011's tragic story of love and loss. His fiance had died of ovarian cancer just 5 days…

If the love of your life has died, Valentine's Day may be more about sorrow than joy, a day filled with tears rather than hugs. It's OK to cry. Just remember that you are not alone.



LegacyConnect has resources that can help. Join a support group or…