Journal
Grief, memorial traditions and urn care
Longer reading for the parts that come after the purchase — what grief looks like, how families mark a death, and how to keep an urn for generations. Looking for sizing and materials instead? Start with the buying guides.
Grief support
What grief actually feels like, what helps, and what to say when someone else is grieving.
September 1, 2026 · 6 min read
What the first year of grief actually looks like
Grief rarely moves in neat stages. What the first weeks, months and anniversaries commonly feel like, what helps, and when to reach out for support.
Read articleAugust 24, 2026 · 4 min read
What to say to someone who is grieving (and what to skip)
Practical wording for condolences, sympathy cards and awkward first conversations — plus the well-meant phrases bereaved families say land badly.
Read article10 July 2020 · 3 min read
Dealing with Grief and the 5 Stages
The five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — what each one feels like, and why grief rarely moves through them in order.
Read article4 August 2020 · 4 min read
Toxic Positivity: Grief Edition
"Time heals all wounds." "Be strong." "At least they lived a long life." Why these well-meant phrases hurt a grieving person, and what they leave out.
Read articleMemorial traditions
Ways families mark a death — services, scattering, dividing ashes, and anniversaries.
August 18, 2026 · 5 min read
Memorial service ideas when you've chosen cremation
Cremation removes the deadline, which changes what a service can be. Formats, timing, readings and ways to include the urn in a memorial gathering.
Read articleAugust 10, 2026 · 5 min read
Scattering ashes: traditions, etiquette and the rules that apply
Where you can legally scatter ashes in the US, how families structure a scattering ceremony, and why many keep a keepsake portion back.
Read article21 August 2020 · 2 min read
Prose for the Quietus of Life: This Heritage
"They are not dead, who leave us this great heritage of remembered joy." The full text of This Heritage, a short poem often read at memorial services.
Read article16 June 2021 · 5 min read
Death Doulas and End of Life Care
What a death doula does, where the modern movement came from, the kind of support they offer families, and directories for finding one near you.
Read articleUrn care
Cleaning, sealing, displaying and travelling with an urn so it lasts for generations.
August 3, 2026 · 4 min read
How to clean and care for a marble, granite or wood urn
Safe cleaning for stone and wood cremation urns: what to use, what etches marble, how to handle engraving, and where to place an urn at home.
Read articleJuly 27, 2026 · 4 min read
Travelling with an urn: flying, driving and shipping ashes
TSA screening rules for urns, which materials pass X-ray, how to ship ashes legally in the US, and how to secure an urn in a car.
Read articleChoosing an urn
Picking the right vessel — size, material, design and cost, step by step.
8 November 2019 · 4 min read
5 Simple Steps to Select the Perfect Urn
Five simple steps to select the perfect urn: intended use, size, material, design and cost — from the Memory Cremation Urns journal.
Read article22 August 2019 · 4 min read
How To Choose A Cremation Urn
Tips for buying a cremation urn: estimating size, cemetery niche rules, matching the urn to the final resting place, keepsakes, materials and budget.
Read articlePet loss
Cremation, memorials and grief when the one you lost had four legs.
13 October 2020 · 9 min read
Pet Cremation Guide
What animals can be cremated, what happens at a pet crematorium, private vs witnessed vs communal cremation, typical costs, and what families do with the ashes.
Read article28 September 2022 · 4 min read
A Bill of Rights for Grieving Animal Lovers
Grief for a pet is real grief. A short bill of rights for anyone mourning an animal — the right to feel it, to express it, to be supported, and to memorialise them.
Read articleFrom the archive
Earlier posts from the Memory Cremation Urns journal, kept here in full.
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