"Man to Man" Grief Room Blog Spot

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http://blog.seattlepi.com/boomerconsumer/2014/03/11/funeral-arrangements-get-price-lists-before-making-decisions/ Boomer Consumer The Boomer Consumer is dedicated to helping boomers get what they want in life through using consumer information, making effective choices, and sharing their own experiences. Funeral arrangements: Get price lists before making decisions Posted on March 11, 2014 | By Rita R. Robison Print 1 Many consumers will find that, like me, they’ll end up in a funeral home making funeral arrangements. One of my first big consumer articles in my early day as a consumer journalist was writing about funeral costs. The Federal Trade Commission was considering adopting a Funeral Rule, so I went to the funeral homes in Spokane, Wash., where I lived at the time, to see what practices consumers were experiencing. All the funeral directors interviewed said they were offering information on prices to consumers and weren’t ...

In Darlene Cross's new book: "A New Normal: learning to live with grief " she points out one of the most important things new grief newbies need to know: "The most widely model you may have had likely heard bout is commonly referred to as the ' stages of grief. ' ...Keep reading because the shocking truth is there is no such thing." Many people learned in school or church about he stages of grief. It is usually described as a neat set of steps that carry you from one stage to another in a neat, smooth package - forget it- is right. - http://www.amazon.com/New-Normal-Learning-Grief-ebook/dp/B0036FUS6M/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1

"THERE is an (Grief) ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM " There’s an elephant in the room. It is large and squatting, so it is hard to get around it. Yet we squeeze by with, “How are you?” and, “I’m fine,” and a thousand other forms of trivial chatter. We talk about the weather; we talk about work; we talk about everything else— except the elephant in the room. There’s an elephant in the room. We all know it is there. We are thinking about the elephant as we talk together. It is constantly on our minds. For, you see, it is a very big elephant. It has hurt us all, but we do not talk about the elephant in the room. Oh, please, say her name. Oh, please, say “Barbara” again. Oh, please, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. For if we talk about her death, perhaps we can talk about her life. Can I say, “Barbara” to you and not have you look away? For if I cannot, then you are leaving me alone in a room—with an elephant. --- Terry Kettering The first...