Published Articles
2023 - January - Gazette - Choices in the care of the deceased
Choices in the care of the deceased
I received a call from the daughter of a 96-year-old woman who had died. The daughter was looking for someone to officiate at her mother’s funeral service,...
Thursday, January 26, 2023
2023 - January - Town & Gown - Loss, Grief, Gratitude and Humor
Loss, Grief, Gratitude and Humor
When I was invited to write a piece for the Pink Zone insert, I wondered what I could say to be helpful. I have never had breast cancer or been treated with c...
Sunday, January 1, 2023
2022 - December - Gazette - Resolutions or Intensions
Resolutions or Intentions
I’ve never been a person who is drawn to making New Year’s resolutions. Primarily because if I want to make a change in myself, I’ll make the change when I realize I want...
Thursday, December 29, 2022
2022 - December - Gazette - 2nd Annual Luminaria Memorial Display
2nd Annual Luminaria Memorial Display
Last New Year’s Eve, I picked up my parents from their local retirement community and took them for a drive in search of a very special light show. As i...
Thursday, December 15, 2022
2022 - November - Gazette - What Really Matters
What Really Matters
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” As we begin this holiday season, I invite all of us to contemplate these words from writer Annie Dillard. How do ...
Saturday, November 19, 2022
2022 - November - CNN - Dogs know just when we need them most ...
We're grateful to Madeline Holcombe with CNN for including Koch Funeral Home and Monroe, our grief therapy dog, in her story about how dogs impact grief. Thank you, Madeline! Read more here.
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
2022 - November - Town & Gown - Funerals Provide Support and Help Us Heal
Funerals Provide Support and Help Us Heal
We shared stories about this veteran’s life, listened to his favorite music and said a prayer. After leaving the funeral home, we gathered at the gravesid...
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Previous Posts
2022 - October - Gazette - Healing Through the Holidays
Healing Through the Holidays
Growing up, my older sister had a poster of a sad clown in her bedroom with the words, “Share with me my sadness and I’ll share with you my joy.” That sentimen...
2022 - October - CDT - Active Life - Allowing Nature to Help Us Heal
Allowing Nature to Help Us Heal
“Instead of seeing natural things as merely objects to be used, we must allow nature to enchant us.” These words of writer and Franciscan priest Richard Rohr ...
2022 - September - Gazette - The Work of a Funeral Director
The Work of a Funeral Director
I had the honor and privilege of traveling around Pennsylvania for two weeks this September making presentations to funeral directors at the Pennsylvania Funeral Dir...
2022 - September - CDT - Helping Hands
“No one wanted to talk about Noah and he was all consuming to us. We could think or talk of nothing else. We needed validation that he had been here—that his life mattered. We needed to hear his na...
2022 - September - Town & Gown - Animals Model and Encourage Healthy Healing
Animals Model and Encourage Healthy Healing
I love to share the story of Elephant Whisperer, Lawrence Anthony. Lawrence was a South African author and conservationist who took some rogue elephants...
2022 - August - Gazette - Open to Moments and Transitions
Open to Moments and Transitions
I read somewhere that it wasn’t a matter of if you got COVID, it was simply a matter of when. Well, I recently had my turn. As a result, I had to cancel gatherings ...
2022 - July - Gazette - Legacy and Loss
Legacy and Loss
My sister-in-law died last week. Cancer was a part of Cheryl for many years and it ultimately squeezed the life out of her. Her loss left us with sadness as well as a legacy we wil...
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