How to write a eulogy...for yourself

Laurel Lewis is a registered nurse who specializes in end-of-life care. She believes that "contemplating one's own death is a spiritual practice. It can certainly be the focal point of any meditation or journal writing. A Buddhist would say that we should examine it with every breath. That may be much for the beginner. How about we start with twice a day, upon waking and just prior to falling asleep." Read more of this interview with Laurel Lewis here.

You can watch a video of Laurel leading a group through a eulogy exercise below:

Emergency room doctor talks about dying in the 21st century

When Someone Dies: The Practical Guide to the Logistics of Death

On Wisconsin Public Radio's Joy Cardin Show, Scott Smith talked about his book, When Someone Dies: The Practical Guide to the Logistics of Death. From the show's blurb: "All of us will die, but few of us will take the opportunity to prepare for the onslaught of arrangements and special considerations that need to be made when a loved one passes away. This hour, Joy Cardin's guest shares his practical guide for the logistics of death."  You can find the audio for the show in Joy Cardin's archives -- look for 3/27/13 8:00 AM "When Someone Dies".

For a quick and excellent overview of this subject, check the Consumer Reports article "What To Do When a Loved One Dies".

Prepare for a good end of life

Judy MacDonald Johnston gave a great TED talk on preparing for a good end of life. Here's a link to additional reading on the subject of Johnston's talk. And here's her talk:

The nature of life and time as captured in the "Up" and "Before" series

Brett McCracken writes an insightful piece for Mere Orthodoxy on the new movies in the "Before" series and the "Up" series.

If you're not familiar, the "Before" trilogy follows a love story in three films spaced nine years apart that feature the same two actors. We watch these actors age, starting when they meet and fall in love in 1994's Before Sunrise, reunite in Paris is 2003's Before Sunset and negotiate their marriage and lives as the parents of twins in 2013's Before Midnight.

The "Up" series -- which the late Roger Ebert called "the noblest project in cinema history" -- also takes us on a real journey through time. The documentary series began with 7 Up in 1964 and follows fourteen 7-year-old children from diverse socio-economic backgrounds in 1960s Britain. A new documentary has come out every seven years since -- the most recent is 56 Up. 

These movies provide an unusual and revealing look into the nature of life and time. (See also Harry Potter series.)

My Last Days: Meet Zach Sobiech

Ask a funeral director

Here is a link to a wonderful interview on Rachel Held Evans' blog, from her "Ask a...." series. It's an interview with Caleb Wilde, a sixth generation Funeral Director who has some very wise things to say about death, grief, and faith.