How to Cope With Grief

Legacy offers advice from leading experts, helpful information related to loss, and to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. , find comfort and inspiration, and begin to heal.

Why We Need Funerals

There are people who declare that they don't want their families and friends to have a funeral for them when they die. "Just cremate me," they say. "I don't want any fuss."

What to Do When Someone Dies

After the death of a loved one, the volume of decisions and responsibilities can feel overwhelming. This article provides a comprehensive, step-by-step checklist to help surviving family members navigate what needs to be done from the moment of death through the weeks and months that follow the funeral. Organized by urgency rather than strict chronology, it covers immediate actions, funeral planning, legal and financial responsibilities, and practical tasks related to the deceased’s home, accounts, and personal affairs. Designed primarily for close survivors but useful for anyone offering support, the guide brings clarity and structure to a difficult time, helping families focus on what matters most while ensuring essential details are not overlooked.

Giving Tuesday Spotlight: Funeral Service Foundation

Tuesday, December 1, is Giving Tuesday, a day when we’re asked to step back from the shopping that dominates the days after Thanksgiving and do some good with our dollars. You might have a favorite charity to support on Giving Tuesday – or maybe you’re donating to a loved one’s favorite charity in their memory.

5 Ways to Stop Obsessing That Someone Might Die

Two weeks ago, I called my mom to tell her about my pandemic lockdown miracle. It was a doozy: I’d arrived at the grocery store just as a clerk was restocking the frozen vegetables! But before I could speak, Mom dropped her news. “I’m going back to work,” she said. I burst into tears.

Video Funerals Help Families Mourn During COVID-19

At a time when precautions against COVID-19 mean that large public gatherings are banned in some places and discouraged most everywhere else, how can we continue having funerals? It’s important to honor and remember the lives of our loved ones who have died, and mourning together with others who loved them is a crucial part of the grief process. We can still do this, even if we can’t get together in one place for a funeral. 

What to Do When a Loved One is Terminal

If your loved one has received a terminal diagnosis, you are likely scared and/or overwhelmed. You know there's a lot for you to do, as you're an important part of their support system, but you don't know what it all is. Here's a checklist of what needs to be done to provide care and prepare for their death.

Memorial Tattoos Photos

Tattoos are moving from the counterculture into the mainstream, and as more and more people get inked, they're discovering just how personal and emotionally significant a tattoo can be. That especially applies when the tattoo is in memory of a loved one. Check out our gallery of some of the best memorial tattoos.

Why Do Celebrity Obituaries Cause Such Strong Feelings?

For every celebrity death that leaves millions of fans shocked and grieving — , , , — there's always someone who wants to argue against that grief.

Find Comfort in Legacy's Grief Support Groups

The loss of a loved one can turn your world upside down in an instant and leave you feeling isolated from the world at large, but you are not alone. In , you’ll find help from others who have stood where you are standing right now. Our private Facebook groups offer a safe space to share your bereavement and connect with others experiencing the same kind of loss you are.

10 Holiday Gifts for Grievers

If you’re shopping for someone who is grieving, the usual gifts may not seem quite right.

The Sixth Stage of Grief: 'Finding Meaning' by David Kessler

The leading grief expert's new book goes beyond the five stages.

8 Helpful Child Grief Awareness Resources

Grief can bring adults to their knees. Imagine then the struggle of the who will experience the death of a parent before they graduate high school. That number doesn't include those who experience the death of a close family member or friend.

Mourning Miscarriage: How Families Grieve a Pregnancy Loss

Yes, it's healthy to remember and honor the baby.

9/11: The Grief of Ordinary Americans

When terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001 — killing nearly 3,000 people in the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and aboard four passenger jets — Legacy was a young internet company serving families, funeral homes, and newspapers in the online obituary space. By 2001, Legacy recognized that our online Guest Books, because we screen each message before it appears online, were uniquely safe spaces for those dealing with a loss to share and grieve together. In the wake of 9/11, we knew one way we could help was to provide .

'She Wanted to Live': When Obituaries Are Honest About Addiction

We never expect addiction to kill the most familiar among us. There's this dangerous idea that's grabbed hold of the popular consciousness over the years that drug addicts are a whole separate category of people, people who would never include Kim who sat next to me in English class and was a sweet girl who loved "Game of Thrones" and just wanted to make her mom happy.

21 Most Common Family Heirlooms

A family heirloom is any treasured item that’s been passed down by a family member who has died. Some are treasures in the most literal sense, valuable antiques that could sell for many thousands of dollars. Others have strictly sentimental value, but the fact that they’re not worth much money doesn’t make them any less beloved. Family heirlooms can be many generations old, passed from parent to child for centuries. Or they can be newer, something inherited from a parent or grandparent that will be passed along in the future. Most important, whatever they may be, family heirlooms conjure memories of the special people who passed them along to us. 

What Is Disenfranchised Grief?

Everyone who’s ever grieved knows . It affects every part of us, tangling our emotions and putting stress on our bodies. Grief can cause physical pain and illness, and it can make us distracted, exhausted, and depressed. 

What Is Bereavement Leave?

Bereavement leave is when an employee takes time off from work following the death of someone close to them.

Understanding Mourning: The Six Needs of Mourning

Grief and mourning aren’t interchangeable words. They’re two distinct things that happen in the wake of a death.

Bible Verses About Strength

The Bible can be a source of strength, giving people the courage to face life’s most difficult challenges. People grieving the loss of a loved one often turn to the Bible for words of comfort and hope. Here are 42 Bible verses to help you find strength and cope with the illness or death of someone you love.

Meet the CNN Hero who's helping kids through their grief

Mary Robinson's Imagine provides grief support for children whose loved ones have died.

What to Say When Someone Dies

When someone you care about is grieving, finding the right words can feel overwhelming. This article offers practical, compassionate guidance on what to say—and how to listen—after a death, emphasizing simplicity, empathy, and sincerity. It explores supportive responses for a wide range of situations, from sudden or traumatic losses to long illness, strained relationships, and losses involving children, coworkers, or even strangers. With expert insights, examples of thoughtful phrases, and reminders of what to avoid saying, the guide helps readers express sympathy in ways that acknowledge loss, offer comfort, and remind the bereaved that they are not alone.

Best Sympathy Quotes

This article brings together 57 timeless sympathy quotes drawn from history, literature, scripture, and voices of spiritual and philosophical reflection. Spanning cultures and centuries, these words offer comfort, perspective, and reassurance to those navigating grief, loss, and mourning. From well-known authors and poets to biblical passages and proverbs, the collection is designed to help readers find language that honors love, acknowledges sorrow, and offers hope when words feel hardest to find.

Making Amends: Last Chance for Mom's Love

Mom’s sobs were operatic as she walked in the front door, accompanied by her brother-in-law. “That thing wasn’t Harry,” she said. She meant my Dad’s body. 

Military Funeral Service Rituals

One of the most revered traditions of military life, a military funeral honors ceremony is a key part of how many families honor their lost veteran. But like all formal ceremonies, they can be a little intimidating if you don’t know what to expect. Read on to learn what happens at a military funeral and find answers to questions on how to behave, what to bring, and how to best help a family say goodbye to their veteran with dignity and respect.

Top Funeral Songs 🎵

This article examines the deep emotional connection between music and funerals, explaining how songs and hymns help families honor loved ones, process grief, and find comfort during memorial services. It presents a curated list of 76 popular funeral and celebration-of-life songs, organized by themes such as remembering parents, partners, or children, as well as religious, uplifting, humorous, love, and alternative music choices. The article serves as a practical guide for selecting meaningful music that reflects personal memories and supports emotional healing.

How to Qualify for Bereavement Flights

There was a time when most airlines offered bereavement flights, a discounted fare for those needing last minute flights to attend the funeral of an immediate family member. Most airlines discontinued bereavement flights around 2004 but a few airlines still offer them for attending a funeral or to visit a loved one who is near death.

What to Expect at a Memorial Service Held at Home

A casual setting can make it more comfortable to share memories.

A Conversation About Grieving with Director Shawn Snyder

The director of new feature film "To Dust" shares insights on death and grieving.

How Matthew Broderick's movie "To Dust" explores grief with laughter

Both tears and comedy flow in this tale of a widower who can't stop worrying about his wife's body.

The Five Stages of Grief

The five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

This Therapy Dog Works in a Funeral Home

"Ally" the goldendoodle is trained to comfort people as they grieve.

How Do I Handle Holidays While Grieving?

In his latest Facebook Live session with Legacy, compares death to the Grinch from Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas . For many grievers, that’s how death feels — like a thief who has stolen the joy from their lives — and the months leading up to the holidays are some of the hardest to get through.

More Obituaries Are Openly Addressing Domestic Violence

Families hope their loved ones' stories will help others escape.

A New Documentary Talks Openly About Pregnancy Loss

"Don't Talk About the Baby" breaks the silence around miscarriage and stillbirth.

"Sorry for Your Loss" Recap, Season 1 Episodes 9 and 10

Six months later, a vacation offers new experiences beyond grief.

"Sorry for Your Loss" Recap, Season 1 Episodes 7 and 8

Grief for her husband's death makes attending a friend's wedding hard.

"Sorry for Your Loss" Recap, Season 1 Episodes 3 and 4

Weekly review of the new Elizabeth Olsen show about grief on Facebook Watch.

"Sorry for Your Loss" Recap, Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2

Weekly review of the new Elizabeth Olsen show about grief on Facebook Watch.

Elizabeth Olsen plays a young widow on the new show 'Sorry for Your Loss'

The Facebook original series debuts Tuesday, Sept. 18.

How to Plan a Funeral After a Death

A loved one has died, and now it’s up to you to plan the funeral. It is challenging to plan a service and grieve at the same time, You don’t have to do it alone — expert funeral directors are available to help. Use Legacy’s checklist to guide you as you find a funeral home and   that is meaningful and comforting.

The Love of My Life Is Gone... Will I Ever Feel Whole Again?

Expert advice on coping with the death of your spouse or partner.

This Grieving Father Pledged to End the Addiction Epidemic

Jim Hood is determined that his son’s overdose will not be in vain—and now Facing Addiction with NCADD is backing him up.

What Does "Rest in Peace" Mean, Really? David Kessler Explains

One of the world's leading grief experts offers gentle thoughts on our feelings after a death

Celebrities Coping with Loss

Fame and fortune can buy many things, but they don't exempt you from loss and grief. Many celebrities have been through the pain that comes with losing a family member or close friend, and in some cases, they've spoken out about what they went through in the wake of their loved one's death. From words of advice for others who are grieving to memories of raw grief, these are the words of celebrities who have experienced loss.

Grief is a Roller Coaster: The Grief Recovery Institute's Advice for Recovering After a Loss

The Grief Recovery Institute's advice for those who are struggling with the loss of a loved one.

Talk When You're Ready: SLAP'D's Advice for Teens Grieving the Loss of a Parent

The loss of a parent affects every teen differently.

Lights, Loss, and Surviving the Holidays: 10 Tips for Grieving Families

When the most wonderful time of the year isn't...