The Funeral.com Journal

Resources to help you create tributes as unique as the people (and pets) you love. Learn how engraving, photos, colors, and symbols add meaning; discover scattering rituals and at-home memorial ideas. We focus on the details that matter—because small choices can carry a lifetime of comfort.

Talking About Pet Loss in Therapy: What to Expect and How It Can Help

Talking About Pet Loss in Therapy: What to Expect and How It Can Help

When a beloved dog, cat, or other companion animal dies, the grief can feel just as intense as losing a person you love. Research backs this up: surveys show that...

Explaining Pet Euthanasia to Children: Gentle Language for a Very Hard Topic

Explaining Pet Euthanasia to Children: Gentle Language for a Very Hard Topic

When a beloved pet is very sick or in pain, adults often find themselves wrestling with two heartbreaks at once: the decision to choose euthanasia, and the question of explaining...

Pet Loss Grief vs. Human Loss: Why the Pain Can Feel the Same

Pet Loss Grief vs. Human Loss: Why the Pain Can Feel the Same

If you are grieving a pet and wondering why it hurts as much as, or even more than, losing a person, you are not imagining it. For many people, the...

Living Alone After the Death of a Spouse: Safety, Routine, and Rebuilding Daily Life

Living Alone After the Death of a Spouse: Safety, Routine, and Rebuilding Daily Life

Adjusting to life after the loss of a partner can be one of the most challenging transitions a person faces. The quiet of an empty home, once filled with shared...

How to Support a Grieving Friend: What Helps, What Hurts, and Small Gestures That Matter

How to Support a Grieving Friend: What Helps, What Hurts, and Small Gestures That Matter

Supporting someone you love through grief is one of the most tender acts of friendship. When a friend loses someone dear, the world feels different for them, quieter, heavier, and...

Grief Support Groups and Counseling: Finding Help That Matches Your Needs

Grief Support Groups and Counseling: Finding Help That Matches Your Needs

Grief changes your world in ways you never expected. It shapes your thoughts, alters routines, and influences how you move through each day. During this time, finding the right support...

Coping with the Loss of a Pet: Grief Stages, Support, and Memorial Ideas

Coping with the Loss of a Pet: Grief Stages, Support, and Memorial Ideas

If you are reading this because you are coping with the loss of a pet, please know you’re not alone. For so many people, pets are family. Saying goodbye to...

Coping with the Loss of a Dog: Grief, Rainbow Bridge Rituals, and Memorial Ideas

Coping with the Loss of a Dog: Grief, Rainbow Bridge Rituals, and Memorial Ideas

The quiet paw prints that once echoed through your home are now a tender memory. The wag of a tail, the warm snuggle by your side, the excited greeting at...

Dating and New Relationships After the Death of a Spouse: Guilt, Timing, and Talking with Family

Dating and New Relationships After the Death of a Spouse: Guilt, Timing, and Talking with Family

If you are reading this, there is a good chance you’ve already lived through one of the hardest things a person can face: the death of a spouse or partner....

The Rainbow Bridge Poem Explained: Comfort, Origins, and How It Helps with Pet Loss

The Rainbow Bridge Poem Explained: Comfort, Origins, and How It Helps with Pet Loss

There comes a moment in every pet owner’s life when the silence in the house feels heavier, the favorite spots around the home seem emptier, and the simple routines once...

Where Do Dogs Go When They Die? Comforting Ideas, Grief Support, and Ways to Remember

Where Do Dogs Go When They Die? Comforting Ideas, Grief Support, and Ways to Remember

When a dog passes, it can feel like a piece of your heart has gone with them. The quiet moments feel heavier, and the absence of their wagging tail or...

Coping When Your Guinea Pig Died — Why It Hurts So Much, and How to Heal

Coping When Your Guinea Pig Died — Why It Hurts So Much, and How to Heal

Losing a guinea pig can leave a silence far heavier than you expect. It is remarkable how such a small creature can leave a large emptiness behind. If your guinea...

A Look at Where Dogs Go When They Die According to the Bible

A Look at Where Dogs Go When They Die According to the Bible

The Grief Behind the Question Anyone who has ever loved a dog knows the particular ache that comes when they die. A dog isn’t “just an animal.” They become family—sleeping...

A Faith-Based Look at Whether Dogs Go to Heaven When They Die

A Faith-Based Look at Whether Dogs Go to Heaven When They Die

If you’ve ever held a dog in your arms during their final moments, you know a particular kind of heartbreak. The house feels quieter. The daily routines that once revolved...

When the Funeral Is Over: How to Navigate Life After the Loss

When the Funeral Is Over: How to Navigate Life After the Loss

Updated: Nov. 20, 2025 The day of the funeral often feels like a blur: flowers, embraces, shared stories, and the heaviness of saying goodbye. People gather around you, filling the...

When Grief Feels Overwhelming: How to Cope After the Loss of a Loved One

When Grief Feels Overwhelming: How to Cope After the Loss of a Loved One

Updated: November 22, 2025 There are moments after a death when the world feels unfamiliar. The house is quieter, routines feel broken, and even simple tasks—answering a text, making coffee,...