Family

Over my long career as a funeral director I’ve heard more than my fair share of eulogies. In a sense, eulogies are like taking a scenic drive through a life…

Dear Max, Marvel and Jack… Trust me, your relationship with money will really matter one day… and since I won’t be around forever, I wanted to share some of what I have learned about money over the years…

Yesterday my mother called me. I live in Oklahoma, and she lives in Florida. Our regular routine is this: I fly to Florida in October to celebrate her birthday. She flies to Oklahoma in May to celebrate mine…

Ever been in a situation like this before? You don’t pick up the phone in time and when you call the person back, the first words out of your mouth are “I’m sorry.” You bring store-bought cupcakes to your friend’s party and you utter, “I’m sorry…”

Let’s face it – funerals are the parties no one wants to plan. And most people only interact with funeral directors at funerals when they are appropriately solicitous, supportive and somber. Read More

One of the quirkiest Thanksgiving holidays I attended happened in the early 80s. I had recently moved with my two sons from Las Vegas to La Jolla, California…

There are two kinds of people: those who adore the time-tested holiday traditions, the shopping, the wrapping, the cooking, the expectations… and those who, for whatever reason, don’t. Of those who don’t, there are the ones who carry on anyway…

Everyone remembers Christmas – the lucky ones amongst us will have fond memories of family traditions from an early age. Excitement begins to mount with the arrival of the Christmas tree and the boxes of decorations dug out of the attic. Our decorations go back generations…

With Christmas approaching, presents, trees, decorations and even the gorgeous lights in the different towns we visit sometimes seems a little pointless. So many other people are doing the same thing! It’s almost overload. Read More

There’s usually no way to avoid a holiday get-together. If you’ve got a large family or live far from your parents or siblings, chances are you’re heading to a relative’s house this month.

Or, perhaps you’ve got your own circle of friends and prefer a more sedate dinner rather than a house full of children of varying ages, along with the obligatory exchange of gifts. Read More