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.

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...

Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, and Cremation Jewelry: A Practical Guide for Real Families

Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, and Cremation Jewelry: A Practical Guide for Real Families

The moment a loved one passes, families are faced with a mix of practical and emotional decisions. Cremation brings choices that extend beyond paperwork, deciding where ashes will live, how...

How Much Does a Funeral Cost?

How Much Does a Funeral Cost?

When you first ask, “How much does a funeral cost?” it rarely feels like a simple budgeting question. This question often arises while you are processing loss, coordinating travel, speaking...

Estate Planning Basics After a Death: Wills, Probate, and What Executors Actually Do

Estate Planning Basics After a Death: Wills, Probate, and What Executors Actually Do

The passing of a loved one brings a wave of practical responsibilities alongside grief. Beyond emotional loss, families often face immediate questions about financial accounts, property titles, debts, and the...

Ashes at Home: Safety, Etiquette, and Talking with Family About Long-Term Plans

Ashes at Home: Safety, Etiquette, and Talking with Family About Long-Term Plans

Keeping cremated remains at home has become a meaningful and increasingly common choice for many families. More than just a practical decision, it can be a deeply personal way to...

Memorializing a Loved One on Social Media: Posts, Tributes, and Privacy Choices

Memorializing a Loved One on Social Media: Posts, Tributes, and Privacy Choices

In the first hours or days after a loss, many families face that empty text box on their screen: “What’s on your mind?” Even though it feels impossible to summarize...

cremation urn on the table

Siblings and Inheritance: Preventing Conflict Over Money, Keepsakes, and Care Decisions

Family dynamics are complex, and they become even more intricate when questions of inheritance arise. Stories unfold not just around bank accounts or property, but around who showed up when...

Remembering Together at a Distance: Virtual Vigils, Video Calls, and Shared Online Rituals

Remembering Together at a Distance: Virtual Vigils, Video Calls, and Shared Online Rituals

Grief has always needed company, but the way we gather has changed. Families are often spread across time zones, friends may live in other countries, and grandchildren might join from...

When a Loved One Dies Far Away: Repatriation, Paperwork, and Remote Mourning

When a Loved One Dies Far Away: Repatriation, Paperwork, and Remote Mourning

Dealing with the death of a family member or beloved pet far from home is a deeply challenging experience. Grief collides with logistics, unfamiliar regulations, and the question of whether...

When a Death Is Sudden: Coping with Shock, Autopsies, and Unanswered Questions

When a Death Is Sudden: Coping with Shock, Autopsies, and Unanswered Questions

A sudden phone call. A knock at the door. A message from a hospital, police officer, or neighbor that doesn’t feel real. When a death is unexpected, after an accident,...

Grief in the Workplace: How Managers and Coworkers Can Respond with Compassion

Grief in the Workplace: How Managers and Coworkers Can Respond with Compassion

Grief rarely waits for a convenient moment. It shows up in emails, video calls, empty desks, and quiet break rooms. As more families choose cremation and memorials unfold over weeks...

Creating a Memorial Space at Home: Altars, Photo Displays, and Everyday Reminders

Creating a Memorial Space at Home: Altars, Photo Displays, and Everyday Reminders

Home is where memories live, and sometimes the quiet spaces we pass every day remind us of those we’ve loved. A vacant chair, a leash by the door, or the...

Anticipatory Grief: Coping with Emotions When a Loved One Is Dying

Anticipatory Grief: Coping with Emotions When a Loved One Is Dying

When someone you love is approaching the end of life, grief can begin long before the final moment. This experience, called anticipatory grief, is the emotional journey of preparing for...

Hospice vs Palliative Care: How They Differ and How They Support Families Near the End of Life

Hospice vs Palliative Care: How They Differ and How They Support Families Near the End of Life

When a serious illness progresses and terms like “palliative” and “hospice” start appearing in medical discussions, it can feel like a sudden plunge into unfamiliar language at one of life’s...

Planning a Memorial Slideshow: Photo Selection, Music, and Technical Tips

Planning a Memorial Slideshow: Photo Selection, Music, and Technical Tips

When someone passes away, photos suddenly feel more precious than ever. A memorial slideshow brings those images together into a living story, a gentle way to say, “This is who...