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.

How to Fill Pet Cremation Jewelry at Home: Step-by-Step (With Photos & Spill-Proof Tips)

How to Fill Pet Cremation Jewelry at Home: Step-by-Step (With Photos & Spill-Proof Tips)

Filling a pendant with your pet’s ashes is often more emotional than practical. In that quiet moment, as you hold the pet cremation jewelry in one hand and your pet’s...

Grieving the Loss of a Service Dog: Losing Your Independence

Grieving the Loss of a Service Dog: Losing Your Independence

When a service dog dies, people around you may try to comfort you in the familiar ways: “At least they’re not suffering.” “You gave them a beautiful life.” “You can...

Changing Breeds: Why Switching Might Help Your Grief

Changing Breeds: Why Switching Might Help Your Grief

In the first quiet days after a dog dies, many people discover that grief isn’t only sadness. It’s habit. It’s the sound your body expects to hear at the door,...

Is Cremation Jewelry Waterproof? Showering, Swimming, Sweat & Material-by-Material Guidance

Is Cremation Jewelry Waterproof? Showering, Swimming, Sweat & Material-by-Material Guidance

If you’re asking whether cremation jewelry is waterproof, you’re probably not trying to be difficult or picky. You’re trying to live your life while carrying something that matters. You want...

Alabama Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Alabama Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Updated December 19, 2025 for 2026. Losing a pet is never easy, and making decisions about pet cremation in Alabama can feel overwhelming—especially when you are grieving and trying to...

Comparing the New Puppy to the Old Dog: How to Stop

Comparing the New Puppy to the Old Dog: How to Stop

There’s a moment many families don’t expect after bringing home a new puppy: you’re standing in the kitchen, the water bowl clinks, a tail thumps against the cabinet—and your mind...

Teenagers and Pet Loss: Validating Their Silent Grief

Teenagers and Pet Loss: Validating Their Silent Grief

A teenager might walk past the empty food bowl without flinching, keep scrolling through their phone, and shrug when you ask, “Are you okay?” From the outside, it can look...

How to Help a Surviving Cat Cope with the Loss of a Companion

How to Help a Surviving Cat Cope with the Loss of a Companion

The first thing most families notice after a cat dies isn’t always the silence. Sometimes it’s the wrong kind of sound: a surviving cat yowling down the hallway at night,...

Identity Crisis: Who Am I If I’m Not a "Dog Mom" Anymore?

Identity Crisis: Who Am I If I’m Not a "Dog Mom" Anymore?

For a long time, being a “dog mom” (or “dog dad,” or simply “their person”) wasn’t just something you did. It was the way your days were structured, the way...

Pre-Grieving: Why You Feel Guilty for Thinking About Life After They're Gone

Pre-Grieving: Why You Feel Guilty for Thinking About Life After They're Gone

If you’re caring for an aging or terminally ill pet, you may be living in two timelines at once. In one, you’re still measuring medications, counting breaths, watching appetite, celebrating...

Bucket Lists for Terminally Ill Pets: Ideas for Every Mobility Level

Bucket Lists for Terminally Ill Pets: Ideas for Every Mobility Level

When a veterinarian says the words “terminal” or “end-of-life,” time changes shape. The days can feel too fast and too heavy at the same time. Many families start searching for...

Natural Death vs. Euthanasia: Debunking the Myths of a "Peaceful" Natural Passing

Natural Death vs. Euthanasia: Debunking the Myths of a "Peaceful" Natural Passing

When a veterinarian says, gently, that a beloved dog or cat is nearing the end, many families feel a sudden need to choose the “right” kind of goodbye. Some people...

Coping with the Diagnosis: When the Vet Says "There's Nothing More We Can Do"

Coping with the Diagnosis: When the Vet Says "There's Nothing More We Can Do"

You don’t forget the moment the room shifts. Maybe the vet’s voice is steady and kind. Maybe they say it gently—“We’ve reached the end of what curative treatment can do.”...

Can You Travel With Cremation Jewelry? TSA Screening, Packing Tips & Avoiding Loss

Can You Travel With Cremation Jewelry? TSA Screening, Packing Tips & Avoiding Loss

If you’ve ever stood in an airport line with your mind already stretched thin, you know how quickly the smallest decisions can start to feel enormous. And if you’re traveling...

Palliative Care vs. Hospice for Pets: Understanding Your Options

Palliative Care vs. Hospice for Pets: Understanding Your Options

There’s a particular kind of heartbreak that arrives before a pet is gone. It shows up in small moments first: your dog pausing halfway up the stairs, your cat choosing...

Explaining Euthanasia to Kids: Scripts for Different Age Groups

Explaining Euthanasia to Kids: Scripts for Different Age Groups

There’s a particular kind of ache that shows up when a family realizes a beloved pet is nearing the end. Adults are often juggling two worlds at once: the quiet,...