Nostalgia, learning experiences, meaningful memories... This book is filled with these from a man who grew up in a strong Irish-Catholic community in the North End of Saint John in the 1950s and 1960s, went on to practise law and then become a law professor and consultant in Toronto, and most recently, joyfully embraced RVing and living in an active retirement community. But besides dusting these memories off for enjoyment, John G. Kelly has a larger purpose. By cleverly showing how his past experiences and even his F.A.I.L.s (first attempts in learning) have positively impacted his future, he demonstrates how we can all learn from our past and use this knowledge to live life to the fullest as a member of an active, caring community. Filled with humorous anecdotes, recollections of a bygone era, reflections on community, and a unique outlook on how to get the most from life, Meaningful Memories has something for anyone who likes a good story. However, for anyone from Saint John, New Brunswick (or who grew up in any of the Atlantic provinces for that matter), fellow RVers, or 65+ young/olds (YOLDS) looking to enjoy active retirement to the fullest, you will not be able to put this book down!

Addresses how funerals may be created which are not only relevant for the bereaved, but which also have theological integrity

Does life have meaning? Is it possible for life to be meaningful when the world is filled with suffering and when so much depends merely upon chance? Even if there is meaning, is there enough to justify living? These questions are difficult to resolve. There are times in which we face the mundane, the illogically cruel, and the tragic, which leave us to question the value of our lives. However, Iddo Landau argues, our lives often are, or could be made, meaningfulwe've just been setting the bar too high for evaluating what meaning there is. When it comes to meaning in life, Landau explains, we have let perfect become the enemy of the good. We have failed to find life perfectly meaningful, and therefore have failed to see any meaning in our lives. We must attune ourselves to enhancing and appreciating the meaning in our lives, and Landau shows us how to do that. In this warmly written book, rich with examples from the author's life, film, literature, and history, Landau offers new theories and practical advice that awaken us to the meaning already present in our lives and demonstrates how we can enhance it. He confronts prevailing nihilist ideas that undermine our existence, and the questions that dog us no matter what we believe. While exposing the weaknesses of ideas that lead many to despair, he builds a strong case for maintaining more hope. Along the way, he faces provocative questions: Would we choose to live forever if we could? Does death render life meaningless? If we examine it in the context of the immensity of the whole universe, can we consider life meaningful? If we feel empty once we achieve our goals, and the pursuit of these goals is what gives us a sense of meaning, then what can we do? Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World is likely to alter the way you understand your life.

Venturing out of the laboratory into the wild of natural settings, it becomes untenable to locate memory strictly in the head. Instead, memory appears as a materially extended and socially distributed process, embedded within culture and history. This book explores the complex relations between practices of remembering and the settings in which they are enacted. It advances a novel set of concepts developed from ecological, cognitive, cultural and narrative currents in psychology and further afield to analyze (1) trajectories of autobiographical remembering, (2) the relation between individual and collective memory, (3) memory and cultural transmission, as well as (4) various methodological techniques to investigate memory in the wild.

Written in response to the current trend to deritualize death and funeral ceremonies, this book explores the ways in which caregivers and clergy can create heartfelt ceremonies that help the bereaved begin to heal. Explaining the purposes behind rituals, it reviews the many ways these have changed over the years and argues for a return to authentic, personalized, and meaningful funeral ceremonies. The qualities in caregivers that make them effective funeral planners are examined, and practical ideas for creating authentic, personalized, and meaningful funeral ceremonies are provided. Trends toward the prevalence of cremation are discussed, as are trends away from viewing and spending time with the body of the deceased. This replaces 1879651084.

The Flower Fix presents wild inspiration and modern arrangements by Swallows and Damsons florist Anna Potter, with beautiful photography by India Hobson. Blousy blooms, speckled branches, rich foliage and delicate petals; nature has the power to inspire and energise, calm and soothe, focus and still. Anna has harnessed this magic with 26 tailor-made combinations of flowers to bring a floral boost to your home, no matter what your mood. With easy-to-find seasonal blooms, found items such as twigs and dried fruit, and any assortment of containers, discover how simple it is to bring a little bit of nature’s mystery into the everyday.

Hospice care helps make the end of life the best it can be, yet the experience can be both rewarding and stressful to those involved. Karen Clayton’s stories address end-of-life choices, palliative care, mixed feelings about hospice, care for the caregivers, managing dramatic incidents and fear, social isolation, saying goodbye, and remembering.