The science of love
J. was an extreme sports guy and a materials scientist. He loved skiing and mountain climbing, yet sadly died in a slip and fall on an icy sidewalk outside of his lab. His wife and fellow materials scientist M. reached out to have rocks made for their family and friends. At the time we were […]
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Independence day an ocean apart
July 4th weekend in 2011 was an interesting one for my dad. He had been dead for several years, but his rocks were on great adventures in different parts of the world.
I was in Philadelphia for my dear friends’ wedding. I spent a day alone with one of Dad’s rocks, touring historic and beautiful […]
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For better or worse, bonded into eternity
A. wanted her parents united forever, so asked us to combine the ashes of her mom and dad into stones. I had not done that before, but thought it was a very sweet idea. Before I started this business, I thought all ash would look the same, but it doesn’t. Some is all white, some […]
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Finding a message in a cracked stone
She entered our lives in a cloud of sourness, tossing off cruel comments as casual conversation. Sometimes pain is masked by crankiness, and clearly T. was in tremendous pain. The loss of her 17-year-old grandson had devastated her, but she was made of stern stuff so she soldiered on. In an effort to alleviate some […]
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Grief turned to intimacy
D. was one of my first customers. She saw a story on Bobrocks in the local paper on the 3rd wedding anniversary she had had to spend without her beloved husband, and she took it as a sign. She brought her husband’s remains over, a friend driving with the urn seat belted in. D. could […]
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First Cold Winter Alone
John was an 82-year-old retired military man who was in deep pain. His booming voice was shaking as he shared with me how the death of his beloved wife had put him in a depression he saw no way out of. I was worried about him making it through the bitterly cold central Oregon winter […]
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How to Create a Memorable Memorial
Why aren’t funeral planners as popular as wedding planners? I don’t mean a stereotypical dark-clothed, hushed voice, undertaker-type of funeral planner. I mean a festive life-celebrating joyful-type of funeral planner. When my aunt died, my cousins did a stellar job of honoring the staunch Padres fan, including a 7th inning stretch and singing “Take Me […]
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The Truth Behind Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act
Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act has been a model for many other states across the country, yet the actual legal complexities are little known. Some people think so-called “assisted suicide” laws encourage people to take their own lives or cause doctors to hasten death amongst the poor or disadvantaged, but nothing could be further from […]
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Protecting Firefighters
This has been a terrible fire season in the Pacific Northwest, but there is one group of firefighters i have a special bond with. Several years ago my nephew Reen went to Israel and he took one of Dad’s rocks, which he placed at a sacred site in the Holy Land. He also brought back […]
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How To Memorialize Your Pet
The loss of a pet can leave you reeling, and wondering why it is not covered under bereavement leave by your employer. While you are still raw from the loss, you are faced with some tough decisions. Burial versus cremation? Communal versus private cremation? One question that isn’t asked but is of paramount importance is […]
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