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.

Trauma Anniversaries and Difficult Dates: Birthdays, Death Dates, and Other Times Grief Spikes

Trauma Anniversaries and Difficult Dates: Birthdays, Death Dates, and Other Times Grief Spikes

There are days on the calendar that feel heavier than others long after a death. You might be moving through an ordinary week and then suddenly realize your chest feels...

When You Inherit a Pet: Legal Responsibilities, Emotional Adjustments, and Planning Ahead

When You Inherit a Pet: Legal Responsibilities, Emotional Adjustments, and Planning Ahead

When someone you love dies, you expect to be making decisions about services, funeral planning, and maybe which cremation urns for ashes or cremation jewelry feel right. You may not...

The Final Walk: Stories of Community Support for Dying Dogs

The Final Walk: Stories of Community Support for Dying Dogs

There is a moment in every dog lover’s life when time slows in a way you never forget. The walks grow shorter. The breathing grows softer. The body that once...

Why You Still Cry Over a Pet You Lost Years Ago (and How to Honor That Love)

Why You Still Cry Over a Pet You Lost Years Ago (and How to Honor That Love)

Some grief does not vanish; it settles softly in the places love once lived.It lingers in the doorway where they used to greet you,in the bowl you never threw away,in...

How to Talk About Pet Loss With People Who Don't Get It

How to Talk About Pet Loss With People Who Don't Get It

When a pet dies, the silence in your home can feel deafening. The missing footsteps on the floor, the empty spot on the couch, the unused food bowl in the...

How to Support a Friend Who Lost a Pet: What to Say (and What Not to Say)

How to Support a Friend Who Lost a Pet: What to Say (and What Not to Say)

When a friend loses a pet, it can be surprisingly hard to know what to say. You may feel their grief deeply and still find yourself staring at a blank...

Nighttime Is the Hardest: Coping With Pet Loss When the House Feels Too Quiet

Nighttime Is the Hardest: Coping With Pet Loss When the House Feels Too Quiet

Why Evenings Hurt So Much After a Pet Dies After a pet dies, many people say the same thing: “I can get through the day, but at night, everything falls...

Grief and Romantic Relationships: Supporting Each Other, Handling Conflict, and When to Seek Help

Grief and Romantic Relationships: Supporting Each Other, Handling Conflict, and When to Seek Help

Grief is a profound experience that reaches far beyond the individual. Grief and romantic relationships can be deeply affected when one or both partners experience loss. Whether the death is...

Online Grief Groups vs In-Person Support: Which Works Better After a Loss?

Online Grief Groups vs In-Person Support: Which Works Better After a Loss?

In the weeks after a death, many people describe their world as split in two. On one side are the practical tasks: calling relatives, making funeral planning decisions, choosing between burial...

Helping Kids Create Their Own Memorials: Drawings, Letters, Crafts, and Comfort Items

Helping Kids Create Their Own Memorials: Drawings, Letters, Crafts, and Comfort Items

When a child experiences the loss of a loved one, helping children express grief can feel both delicate and overwhelming for adults. The sadness they carry is often complex, expressed...

Self-Care in Grief: Sleep, Nutrition, Movement, and Gentle Routines When You Feel Numb or Overwhelmed

Self-Care in Grief: Sleep, Nutrition, Movement, and Gentle Routines When You Feel Numb or Overwhelmed

Grief is not linear, and in its wake, even the simplest daily tasks can feel monumental. Taking care of yourself after a death may seem impossible when exhaustion, sorrow, and...

How to Know When It’s Time to Say Goodbye: Making End-of-Life Decisions for a Pet

How to Know When It’s Time to Say Goodbye: Making End-of-Life Decisions for a Pet

When Love and Responsibility Collide There is a particular kind of silence that settles over a home when a pet is nearing the end of life. The sound of nails...

When You Couldn’t Afford Treatment: Coping with Financial Guilt After a Pet’s Death

When You Couldn’t Afford Treatment: Coping with Financial Guilt After a Pet’s Death

When Money and Love Collide There are few feelings more gutting than standing in a veterinary exam room while someone explains what your pet needs and realizing you cannot afford...

Coordinating Memorial Dates for Both Pets and People: Avoiding Overwhelm While Honoring Everyone

Coordinating Memorial Dates for Both Pets and People: Avoiding Overwhelm While Honoring Everyone

When the Calendar Starts to Feel Heavy For many families, loss does not happen just once. A parent dies, then years later a spouse. A beloved dog is euthanized after...

Why Losing a Pet Hurts So Deeply (and Why Your Grief Is Real)

Why Losing a Pet Hurts So Deeply (and Why Your Grief Is Real)

If you are reading this after losing a pet, there is a good chance you are surprised by how hard it is hitting you. You might find yourself crying in...

Going Back to Work After a Death or Pet Loss: Managing Grief in a Workplace Setting

Going Back to Work After a Death or Pet Loss: Managing Grief in a Workplace Setting

Going back to work after someone you love has died—whether that is a parent, partner, friend, or a beloved pet—can feel like stepping onto a moving treadmill when you are...