by Norma Schuh
Until recently, retirement from the work force or from managing a household (or whatever activities and obligations engaged you in earlier years) implied you were soon to be following a downward spiral. In previous generations, where lon...Read more
Abbey Caskets’ Blog
by Kass Dotterweich
The first Christmas after my father died was extremely difficult; the second was a little better. The third was just a few weeks away when I received a shoebox-shaped package from my sister. When I called her to say the package had ...Read more
by Mary Lynne Knighten
Are you one of the 70% of people who does not have an advance care plan (ACP)?
Advance care planning is the process of planning for future medical care. ACP is an ongoing course of action whereby patients, family members, and hea...Read more
Join us for an open house Sunday, May 5, 2019 from 9:00am-3:00pm CST. Abbey Caskets is located along Highway 545 in St. Meinrad, Indiana just south of the Archabbey Gift Shop. Come see our beautifully hand crafted caskets and cremation urns, tour the new woodworking workshop, ask questions and enjoy refreshments! Read more
Excerpt from “Getting Through the Annual Reminders of Your Loss” from CareNotes. Memory writes on every page of the calendar – her a birthday, there a holiday, further on a wedding date. In the wake of death, those precious days bear a bittersweet tinge, a pang that celebrations they mark will never be Read more
Juan was in his mid-thirties and sitting up in his hospital bed when I met him. His wife and mother were on either side, holding his hands and sobbing. His cardiologist paged for a chaplain, and I arrived to learn that Juan understood that he was dying and wanted to make arrangements to die at home. He was having Read more
Whoever the patient is, whatever the condition, serious illness deeply affects the whole family. Adults struggle to keep the family functioning amid the physical stress of home care or hospital visits and the emotional stress of medical dilemmas and worry. Kids are upset both by the threat to the loved one and the Read more
Following my father’s death, there were days when it was hard to know whether I was feeling sorry for myself or plodding through the quicksand of grief as best I could. There were days I longed for someone to tell me how to get through the grief. But when someone would suggest it was time I “move along,” I Read more
Even as you stew over aging’s negative aspects, you can also come to realize some of the advantages it brings. As you consider the following possibilities for keeping body, mind, and spirit fit, remember that these are not separate parts of you but the essential ingredients of a whole person. You can’t work on Read more
Even though the steps through grief can be similar, the way each family member moves through the process is unique. Such differences may produce antagonism between and among family members. While some conflict in the family at this difficult and emotional time may be inevitable, working through these difficulties Read more