Gentle help for the hard week
Practical guides for planning a service and gathering memories. Free to read, print and share.
What to Write in a Memory Card: 60 Gentle Examples
Not sure what to write in a memory card? 60 gentle examples for a parent, grandparent, friend, coworker, neighbor and more, plus prompts and what to avoid. · 8 min read
Celebration of Life Ideas That Feel Personal
Celebration of life ideas that reflect the person you lost: venues, memory tables, stories, music, food, keepsakes, kids, remote guests and a checklist. · 8 min read
Funeral Thank-You Card Wording: Examples and Timing
Funeral thank you card wording for flowers, food, donations, pallbearers, clergy, coworkers and travelers, plus when to send them and simple sign-offs. · 7 min read
How to Collect Memories From Family and Friends After Someone Dies
How to collect memories of a loved one from family and friends: QR memory cards, prompts, voice recordings, older relatives, privacy, and making a book. · 8 min read
How to Write a Eulogy: A Step-by-Step Guide With Examples
How to write a eulogy step by step: gathering stories, structure, how long to speak, delivery tips, and short examples for a grandmother, father and friend. · 9 min read
Sympathy Message Examples for Cards and Texts
Sympathy message examples for a card or text: close family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, loss of a parent or child, religious and non-religious options. · 8 min read
Funeral Guest Book Ideas Families Will Treasure
Funeral guest book ideas beyond a simple signature: memory cards, photo books, QR guest books, memory jars, quilt squares, table setup tips and card prompts. · 8 min read
Funeral Program Wording: What to Write, Section by Section
Plain-English funeral program wording for every section of an order of service, with example lines for secular, Christian, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim services. · 8 min read
How to Write an Obituary: A Simple Template and Two Examples
Learn how to write an obituary step by step: a fill-in template, two full examples of different lengths, and what to leave out to protect the family's privacy. · 9 min read
What to Do After a Funeral: The First Week and the First Month
A gentle, practical guide to what to do after a funeral: thank-you notes, who to notify, a paperwork checklist, keepsakes, and how to look after yourself. · 9 min read
Memorial Slideshow Ideas: Photos, Pacing, Captions and Music
Memorial slideshow ideas for a funeral or celebration of life: how many photos to use, what order, pacing, captions, choosing music by mood, and printing after. · 8 min read
How to Ask Guests to Share Memories at a Funeral (8 Wordings)
How to ask guests to share memories at a funeral: ready-to-use wording for the program, the announcement, table cards and a follow-up text, plus what works. · 8 min read
Memorial Service Checklist: A Two-Week Timeline, Day by Day
A memorial service checklist that runs from the first phone call to the week after, day by day, with who does what and which tasks you can hand to others. · 9 min read
Celebration of Life Speech Examples and a Simple 3-Minute Plan
Celebration of life speech examples for a parent, a friend, and a coworker, plus a simple three-minute structure and calm ways to get through the hard parts. · 8 min read
What to Write in a Funeral Guest Book: 40 Short Lines
Not sure what to write in a funeral guest book? Forty short, honest lines grouped by relationship, what the family reads later, and how to leave your address. · 7 min read
How to Record Family Stories Before and After a Loss
How to record family stories with just a phone: 30 questions that open people up, voice vs video, where to keep the files safely, and how to transcribe them. · 8 min read
Memory Book Ideas: What to Put in a Printed Book, Page by Page
Memory book ideas for after a death: a page-by-page plan, photos, guest memories, recipes, plain-English sizes and page counts, and how to gather content. · 8 min read
Funeral Reception Ideas: Venue, Food, and a Memory Table
Funeral reception ideas after a service: venues, food by budget, a memory table, activities that get people talking, timing, and what friends can bring. · 8 min read
Funeral Etiquette for Guests: What to Wear, Bring, and Say
Funeral etiquette in plain English: what to wear, what to bring, what to say and avoid, phones and photos, children, how long to stay, and following up. · 8 min read
How to Hold a Virtual Memorial Service: A Simple Plan
A plain-English guide to how to hold a virtual memorial service: livestream or video call, inviting far-away relatives, a run of show, recording, and after. · 8 min read
Memorial Ideas for a Parent: At the Service, Home, and Beyond
Memorial ideas for a parent: what to do at the service, at home in the first months, on the first birthday and anniversary, and how to work with siblings. · 8 min read
How to Choose Photos for a Memorial, Slideshow, and Book
How to choose photos for a memorial service, slideshow, and printed book: how many you need, scanning old prints with a phone, cropping, and asking relatives. · 8 min read
Death Anniversary Ideas for the First Year and After
Death anniversary ideas for the first year: quiet ways to mark the day alone, shared ideas with family, what to say to someone grieving, and messages to send. · 7 min read
How to Involve Children in a Memorial Service, Age by Age
How to involve children in a memorial service by age: what to tell them beforehand, simple roles like drawing or reading a memory, and when to let them skip it. · 8 min read
What to Bring to a Grieving Family: Meals and Real Help
What to bring to a grieving family: meals that reheat well, what not to bring, labels and containers, how a meal train works, and non-food help that matters. · 8 min read