How Can We Hope When There Is No Hope?

Losing a loved one to illness: how to find hope in a hopeless situation.

The Order of the Good Death

For many people, the subject of death is taboo. Caitlin Doughty wants to change that.

The Kennedy-Huxley-Lewis Connection

After an assassin's bullets killed President John F. Kennedy Nov. 22, 1963, all other world news seemed muffled. Perhaps that's why the deaths of two other well-known men that day were pushed aside.

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross: Five Stages of Grief

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross wrote the 1969 best-seller "On Death and Dying." The book introduced the world to what's now commonly known as the "Five Stages of Grief."

Terminally Ill Death-with-Dignity Advocate Ends Own Life

Brittany Maynard made news with plans to end her life, due to a terminal illness Nov. 1. She was back in the news with the announcement Oct. 24 that she has completed her bucket list.

Dying Woman Says Goodbye to Beloved Horse

The bond between humans and animals can be a strong, lifelong connection. This was certainly the case for Sheila Marsh and her horse, Bronwen.

The Legacy of Unclaimed, but not Forgotten People

Each year the County of Los Angeles honors the lives of people whose remains went unclaimed after their deaths.

What You Learn From a Near-Death Experience

Most people are afraid to die, but a near-death experience can change that.

The Death Cafe: Coffee, Tea and Taboo Conversation

Most people don't like to talk about death, fearing the mere mention of the word will hasten their own end. They fear the unknown, the "what comes next." They pretend they can avoid that aspect of life, although no one has successfully done so yet. Jon Underwood wants to change that mindset.

“Being Mortal” by Dr. Atul Gawande

A surgeon and best-selling author shares some of his latest work.

A Hospice Patient and Her Cat

How an Internet community came together to help a hospice patient.

Connected Heart Syndrome

It’s a documented fact that some people die more quickly after losing a partner.

8 Lessons from a Terminally Ill Superhero

Dov Siporin changed the way thousands of people think about death.

12 Apps for the End of Life

Smartphone apps can help you plan a loved one’s funeral, arrange for messages to be delivered after you die, or simply complete your dearest goals before drawing your last breath.

What DNA Can Tell You About How You'll Die

If you've ever wondered when the sci-fi-tinged future will arrive, the answer seems to be that it's already here… or, at least, the genetic testing part of it is.

Alzheimer's Brings Early Grieving

There are so many different types of grief, and each brings its own unique pain and challenges. Grieving the death of a parent is much different from grieving the loss of a child, which is much different from grieving the loss of a spouse … the list continues. But one type of grief we don’t always talk about is the grief that begins before a death. Any long-term illness might lead to this – the horrible knowledge that death is coming inevitably, and soon – but Alzheimer’s disease brings a special set of circumstances that causes a unique and early grief for anyone caring for an affected loved one.

Worked to Death?

Sarvshreshth Gupta's family is mourning the young man today after his death that appears to have been brought on by overwork. The 22-year-old was a recent college graduate who was working as an analyst for investment banking firm Goldman Sachs. It’s a job that comes with long hours and lots of pressure, and Gupta was finding it a difficult fit. He actually left the job earlier this year, feeling burned out after an especially busy period that included extremely late nights without much sleep.

A Hospice Social Worker on Grief and Empathy

This MJHS hospice social worker has walked a few miles in his patients' shoes.

36 Questions That Will Make You Fall in Love (With Your Family)

The Funeral and Memorial Council created Talk of a Lifetime to help families have better conversations.

Can Dia de los Muertos Help us Grieve?

Arturo Albin, Director of Método Grief Recovery México, shares insights on this special holiday.

Loving and Letting Go at the Zen Hospice Project

A hospice volunteer shares what she's learned about letting go.

PostSecret Talks Obituaries

What secrets are we keeping today that we'll be comfortable with sharing in obituaries 100 years from now?

Dying Surrounded by Laughter and Song

A hospice volunteer shares insights inspired by two peaceful deaths.

Facing Death: Holding On and Letting Go

Every death is different. A hospice caregiver shares insights about just how different people's responses to death can be.

In the Presence of Death

...it is a unique and rare privilege to be in the presence of death, to face this ultimate reality of life right in front of me.

What It's Like to Comfort the Dying

is a series dedicated to opening conversations around death and dying, and how acknowledging our mortality can help us live better. In this interview, we learn from the unique perspective of a chaplain working in hospice.

The Most Characteristic Euphemism for "Died" in Each State

In collaboration with Mental Floss: a state-by-state breakdown of euphemism trends in obituaries.

Living Her Dying – Lessons from a Young Woman

We are all humans together somewhere on the continuum of living and dying.

Aromatherapy Triggers Memories and Relief for the Dying

is a series dedicated to opening conversations around death and dying. In this interview, we learn from the unique perspective of Nikki Hernandez, a certified clinical aromatherapist who works with hospice patients. She uses essential oils to bring relief to patients who are in pain or distress. Aromatherapy is not yet widely used in end-of-life care, but Hernandez thinks it should be in every hospice across the nation.

The Intimacy of Care

Being with people at the end of life as a volunteer caregiver with Zen Hospice Project for the past 15 months has felt like finding home.

What's Behind the Surge in Political Obits?

Earlier this month, The Washington Post published an article titled, "Disdain for Trump and Clinton is so strong, even the dead are campaigning." The article opened with the story of Mary Anne Noland, a 68-year-old Richmond native who had recently died – but not before making arrangements for a final, posthumous political statement in her obituary.

JJ the Hospice Therapy Dog Lends a Helping Paw

Dogs can provide comfort to hospice patients and their families, or even to people who are grieving at funerals.

Music is Good for the Soul, in Sickness and in Health

Music is an inextricable part of the human experience. We hear it in the womb, we play it as we say goodbye at funerals... and increasingly, music is used in hospice to enhance the last months of life in myriad ways.

The Zen of Food in Hospice

Food can nourish and nurture, even at the end of life.

Witnessing Two Deaths

Sometimes dying is full of confusion, fear, regret, denial, secrets, and chaos. Grief and conflict swirl through the person dying as well as through their family and friends. Decades of emotional and social dynamics intensify and sometimes remain unresolved at the end of life. This is especially true when someone is facing what we think of as an “early” death — the death of someone not yet in old age, someone who’s busy with children and career, has relationships in process, and still has so much left to do. Death can feel entirely wrong, cruel even, and like it comes far too soon.

Turning Grief Into Purpose

While grieving a loss, you learn a lot about what helps or hampers healing. Meet two remarkable women who turned personal loss into an external source of comfort.

A Beautiful Thing

A hospice volunteer reflects on life's beauty after a startling question from a man with a terminal illness.

What It's Like To Care for a Terminally Ill Child

In many ways, Beth Bischoff-Taylor is like any other mom of a young child. She shares lots of pictures and videos of her son, Miles, on Facebook. She excitedly trumpets his milestones and achievements. She wakes up extra early to get to the gym before his day begins. She is busy, busy, busy, struggling to fit in a lunch date with a friend or a Target run.

Caring for a Terminally Ill Loved One: First Take Care of Yourself

Self-care takes a back seat when we care for dying loved ones. But it's one of the most important considerations in an emotionally and physically harrowing time.

Celebrity Grief

It can seem odd to feel such a deep sense of loss for someone you never met, and yet it is normal to grieve for anyone who has touched your life.

Take the Time to Talk

For most of us, talking about end-of-life issues with loved ones isn’t easy. But it can be a rich and rewarding experience that connects families and strengthens relationships.

The Power of Community: Join Legacy's "Loss of a Parent" Group on Facebook

Because we believe in the power of community, we're bringing grief support spaces to Facebook.

Love, Grief, and Kickstarter

Odds are, you’ve come across Kickstarter in recent years. A crowdfunding website that lets anyone raise money from anyone else for creative and entrepreneurial projects, Kickstarter has facilitated the production of tens of thousands of inventions, films, books, and more since 2009. If you browse the site for even a few minutes, you can find a little bit of everything — so perhaps it's no surprise that Kickstarter is helping breathe new creative life into the memorialization industry.

Why Did This Obituary Get Us Talking about Opioid Addiction?

How a well-written obituary and a police chief's criticism have sparked a national conversation about opioid addiction.

Yes, It's True: More People Die in January

In this article, originally published in , Legacy.com founder Stopher Bartol examines the recurring phenomenon of higher death rates in winter months. The article has been updated to reflect current statistics.

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 Embalming Process: How it Works

Embalming is a process performed by licensed funeral professionals that slows the decomposition of a human body after death by adding chemicals to replace bodily fluids. It's typically chosen by families that wish to have an open-casket funeral service.

Netflix's "Dead to Me" Explores a Widow's Grief Through Comedy

“Dead to Me,” which debuted on Netflix this summer, stars Christina Applegate in a fascinating look at how grief molds and changes our lives.

How to Find the Best Burial Insurance Policy

What final expenses does burial insurance cover? And is funeral insurance right for you?