Yesterday the body of a surfer was found naked and nibbled by sharks at my daily surf spot. While surfing today in the exact vicinity I couldn't shake the feeling parts of his body, both physically and meta-physically were still 'there'. Have one science and one karma question about this:
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posted by remlapm
on May 10, 2013 -
24 answers
I want to be cremated by bonfire. Public bonfire. I assume it's not permitted. Are there any exceptions?
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posted by shew
on May 8, 2013 -
21 answers
I have a 2 and half year old toddler (and another munchkin on the way.) He's getting to the point where he's starting to ask questions about my parents and my wife's parents and we're not quite sure how to tackle the topic.
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posted by Jacob G
on May 5, 2013 -
27 answers
The story: wife gets breast cancer. Double mastectomy, chemo, radiation. Two young kids. Nine years of remission. Then, recurrence. Three years of more chemo, then three months of hospice and she dies at home in my arms.
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 30, 2013 -
39 answers
I am a (new) professor at a small, rural university. One of my students has had to take an emergency leave due to a death in their family. Aside from assuring them that they need not think about their schoolwork at all, and that we'll work it out when they're ready, is there anything else I can do to support them?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 26, 2013 -
19 answers
It's looking like I'll be jobless this summer. Would it be possible to keep myself alive by taking photos of newsworthy events and selling them to news organizations?
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posted by Sheila Nagig
on Apr 25, 2013 -
8 answers
Two people hit it off online. within the span of 24 hours, one of them gets her assistant to contact the other to organise meet-up details, claims that cars are booked for travel and that their airfare is booked - and then suddenly has died from being hit by a car. Is this a well-documented scam?
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posted by divabat
on Apr 20, 2013 -
31 answers
I wrote
this question about my Aunt. As it turned out, I just wrote back a very polite reply -- "thank you for your good wishes" ...I was polite. I felt good about this. Thank you for all the helpful answers.
My Aunt wrote me again -- long story inside. Thank you for taking the time to read it.
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posted by Lescha
on Mar 26, 2013 -
26 answers
Can signing an 'Authorization For Cremation' form somehow make me responsible for my deceased father's debt?
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posted by KevinSkomsvold
on Mar 25, 2013 -
15 answers
Has someone important to you passed away? What was the most comforting/most respectful thing anyone said to you when that happened? I work with the elderly, who die at an accelerated rate. 98% of the time, I genuinely care about the deceased and would like to give comfort to the surviving family. Since this comes up a lot, I feel as if I'm repeating the same phrases over and over. I need more options. I'm specifically asking for things people said
to you that were kind.
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posted by Lately Gone
on Mar 21, 2013 -
79 answers
For the last 6 or 7 days, I've been fixated on death, and not in a suicidal context. How do people normally handle constant thoughts about their mortality, and how can I stop this from crippling my ability to "live?"
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posted by Ashen
on Mar 19, 2013 -
45 answers
Recently I had a California Advance Health Care Directive drawn up (free when you buy a Will!) Whoa... this is a tough question! End of Life Decision:
A) Choice not to prolong life
B) Choice to prolong life
Which one should I pick? How do I go about picking one? More details inside
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posted by StrictlyVague
on Mar 7, 2013 -
14 answers
My friend died last week. We had been living in different countries for the past few months; we were still in contact up until a few weeks ago. His death was sudden and unexpected. He was far too young to die. I can't go to any of the memorials (he was one of those people who knew like, thousands of people, so people seemingly everywhere on earth are doing stuff) and I won't be going to the funeral. I didn't know his family and even though we were roommates, we had very few friends in common.
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posted by Enchanting Grasshopper
on Feb 27, 2013 -
18 answers
Death of a parent and a breakup- how to disentangle the two, get a virtual lobotomy regarding the breakup, and for heavens sake just fucking move on regarding the breakup.
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posted by xm
on Feb 27, 2013 -
20 answers
My uncle is dying - the doctor says days or weeks. I haven't said anything to him, or his wife, or his kids, since they got the cancer diagnosis a few months ago. Our families have had a historically fractured relationship, so it all feels very awkward to me. Please help me figure out what to appropriately say to them.
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posted by raztaj
on Feb 25, 2013 -
10 answers
How many times has James Bond used a woman's body to prevent himself from getting killed (blocked a bullet from hitting him with a woman, etc)?
posted by aaanastasia
on Feb 24, 2013 -
13 answers
My wife died. Everyone keeps telling me I should have someone to talk to - a counselor or someone from hospice or whoever. I don't really feel like I need or want that, though. Am I harming myself by handling this on my own?
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posted by tylerkaraszewski
on Feb 17, 2013 -
67 answers
It appears my Dad is in the process of dying - I'm mostly okay with that, but really struggling with the rest of my family. Could use some words of wisdom.
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 12, 2013 -
21 answers
Recently, several friends and acquaintances in their 20s have passed away. Their online accounts -- particularly their Facebook accounts -- linger, as memento mori, covered with "miss u" wall posts and that sort of thing. Which has got me thinking about what will happen when people who are now in their 20s and early 30s die. Especially if they die young.
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posted by Miss T.Horn
on Feb 11, 2013 -
8 answers
Someone I went to high school with died a year or so ago. I never learned what the cause of death was, and I'm curious. I drive by an adopt a highway sign dedicated to their memory often, and it confuses and bums me out.
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 11, 2013 -
28 answers
My father has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He cannot receive treatment or transplant. My father is going to die in 4-8 months. On new year's eve I got engaged and now my father wants me to get married soon. March soon so he can walk me down the aisle and maybe even dance with me.
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posted by octomato
on Jan 21, 2013 -
21 answers
My partner's mother is on death's door and I'm struggling to find the words to be supportive as I should without being vapid and trite. He's making difficult decisions about life support against his mother's wishes, etc. An illness of my own has me bedridden and unable to be at his side. Any advice on what to say/what not to say to comfort/console/support him given the circumstances would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
posted by blue t-shirt
on Jan 18, 2013 -
14 answers
Spoiler filter - novels/scripts where the protagonist was in a coma/dead (etc) the whole time?
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posted by tzb
on Jan 18, 2013 -
46 answers
My cat has died, which was horrible. Worse, I wasn't even home. I'd like to send my cat sitter something.
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posted by AmandaA
on Jan 8, 2013 -
9 answers
My dad died a few days before Thanksgiving and my wife just left me (2 days after my birthday) and wants a divorce. Best survival tips?
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posted by entropicamericana
on Jan 7, 2013 -
37 answers
I love my dog. Every once in a while, I feel utterly heartbroken that I will most likely outlive him. While it doesn't happen often and it's not overwhelming, and I realize that it is perfectly natural to be sad about something like that, can you give me advice about how to turn these thoughts into something positive?
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posted by halogen
on Jan 7, 2013 -
42 answers
Mid thirties married male with no kids yet. Thinking about life insurance in case I do something stupid and die. Am I better off getting a term life insurance policy, a lifetime policy, or should I just take $100 a month and invest it on my own and use that for my wife if I suddenly kick the bucket?
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posted by wile e
on Jan 6, 2013 -
10 answers
If you keep a diary or other secret papers, do you have a plan for what happens to it if something happens to you?
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posted by dawkins_7
on Jan 5, 2013 -
25 answers
My mother and father were married over 50 years. Dad passed early this year (Feb) and now is the 1st anniversary is upon us. I have been helping mom out quite a bit since then, but could use some pointers about what to do or look out for over the next couple of months. A little more inside.
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 16, 2012 -
6 answers
My grandad passed away today. My family have asked me to find a poem he might like, to read at his funeral. He was an engineer who would only read 'factual' things, such as instructional/educational books and later in life, a lot of biographies. He didn't go in for poetry at all that I know of. Would like to avoid 'Do not stand at my grave and cry'. Any reccommendations?
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posted by everydayanewday
on Dec 13, 2012 -
27 answers
Have you ever not only been unable to see the light and the end of the tunnel, and don't care anymore if you do?
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posted by thelastgirl
on Dec 11, 2012 -
20 answers
What do I do when a person is eligible for COBRA insurance but has passed away before getting papers and signing up?
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posted by meowzilla
on Dec 8, 2012 -
4 answers
Friend of a friend's mother just passed away, and between the death and the funeral, the mom's sketchy neighbor talked him into selling his car for pennies on the dollar. What now?
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posted by davejay
on Dec 6, 2012 -
7 answers
Is it wrong for me to share details about a deceased ex-boyfriend with his parents? Specifically, that he was my boyfriend at all. Snowflake details inside.
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 5, 2012 -
38 answers
How much extra safety would a crash helmet offer a highway driver wearing a seatbelt?
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posted by Egg Shen
on Dec 5, 2012 -
16 answers
My husband is losing his father in a few weeks. He is currently spending some time with him at a hospice and is away from home to deal with chaotic family issues surrounding this. When he returns, I imagine he will need time to decompress and I want to make that easy. Please give me suggestions on how I can make that easier for him or what you've appreciated in a similar situation.
posted by dean winchester
on Dec 3, 2012 -
10 answers
I lost my dear dad unexpectedly Sunday after a series of illnesses. My mom, luckily, is still with us. They were together 54 years and my mom was only 17 when they met. The most important thing to my dad was my mom's well-being and I feel it is now my duty to look after her to the best of my ability. I have no idea how to help her cope with the loss of my father. I want to be there for her as much as possible, but I don't want to smother her. Does anyone have any advice?
posted by entropicamericana
on Nov 23, 2012 -
18 answers
Wrongful death in the family. In lieu of flowers / Memorial donations?
Help me, hive mind.
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 23, 2012 -
17 answers
My ex-boyfriend's dad just passed away. What, if anything, should I do?
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posted by csox
on Nov 16, 2012 -
24 answers
I just made a large batch of apple butter (~8 pecks) in a giant uncoated copper kettle, cooked on top of a wood fire for the better part of the day. The texture is great, but there is a bitter aftertaste (stronger in some parts, like those from the side of the pot, than others) that slightly worries me — what could have caused it, and is it plausibly safe to eat?
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posted by caaaaaam
on Nov 10, 2012 -
9 answers
The mother of the family I work for just passed away after a long illness. What can I do to help?
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posted by nonasuch
on Oct 18, 2012 -
9 answers
