End of Life Arkansas

Changing the way Arkansans think about death.

End of Life Arkansas was created to make a space to share information and start conversations about death with Arkansas residents. Find local grief-support resources, connect with others, and explore the ever-growing list of books and podcasts related to grief, death & dying, funeral industry reform, and more. This is also a space to share information about my continued research on combatting Funeral Poverty in Arkansas. 

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This week's article covers everything you ever wanted to know about embalming. I'll link the article on my story and save it under the "blog post" highlight. Thank you for reading and don't forget to subscribe to the blog to stay up to date. The book club is happening! Paper Hearts Bookstore will host our first meeting on Saturday, June 8 at 2:00. We will be discussing the book “Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?” by Caitlin Doughty. The shop will have some copies available soon. We plan to meet quarterly. I hope to see you there! The Recommended Reading/Listening List has moved to a new home! I previously shared this information as a blog post but I felt that it needed to be more “front and center” on my website. Visit endoflifearkansas.com to browse for your next death/grief related book or podcast. It’s my birthday! As much as I wish I could be happy and celebrate, it’s just another reminder that my dad isn’t here. Grief is so hard but I try to remind myself that this big, overwhelming feeling is just all the love I have for him. My dad went fishing right before I was born and caught a bass the same length and weight that I was. Every year on my birthday he would joke that he wished he could catch a fish as big as I was then. I wish my phone would ring and it was him telling that same joke for the 24th time. I wish tonight he’d be grilling me a steak. I love you forever, Daddy. I’ll miss you always. I wish you were here. Conservation burial is the process of an unembalmed corpse being buried in a biodegradable casket or shroud. These burials are in shallower graves and are either unmarked or very simply marked. They take place on land that is protected from future development and the people who run these cemeteries work to reintroduce and protect native plants and wildlife. It is a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to lay a body to rest. I’m surprised that Arkansas, the natural state, doesn’t have a conservation cemetery- but I’m working with a handful of passionate individuals who are working to change that in the near future. I have a consultation with one of the people who run the Larkspur Conservation Cemetery in Tennessee this Friday to pick their brain and try to start the process of establishing one in our home state. What would you like to know about natural burial itself or the process of establishing this kind of cemetery? Hey there! It's been a little quiet on this page because I've been working hard on my research project. I set up an account on Printify to sell t-shirts for y'all to spread the word. I wish I could do all of the printing and shipping in-house but I just can't bite off the up-front costs that would require. I don't plan on using this platform forever, but a few people have asked about shirts so I figured this would work for now! EndofLifeAR will get a portion of each sale and every penny will be invested to further my research, organize future community events (I've got big plans), and continue to grow this platform. I also set up a "merch" page on my blog and I'll let y'all know when I upload new goodies every now and again. Yesterday marks 2 years without my daddy. The first slide is a drawing I did a few months after he passed. Becoming a parent makes you view your own parents differently. My dad was not perfect, but he loved us. All of my fondest memories are with my dad. He would work 12+ hour shifts and then come home filthy and exhausted and play with his kids. He was quiet and funny and deeply kind. He loved his animals and being outdoors. I miss his imagination. I miss the way he smelled. I miss the way he laughed. Losing my dad changed me in ways I can never put into words. I’ll keep planting tomatoes and brewing strong coffee. I’ll keep thrifting sad hound dogs and being good to real ones. I’ll keep helping people, even when I’m exhausted. Most importantly, I’ll play with my kids, love them well, and show them everything you taught me. In this week's article, I interviewed Physical Psychic Medium Sean Michael Rutherford. We shared a deeply moving and insightful conversation about their work with the living and the dead. If you'd like to read it, visit my blog. I'll link the article and save this post under my "Blog Posts" highlight. This week's recommended read is "Stiff" by Mary Roach. This book explores some of the many different ways human cadavers are used for science. It is as entertaining as it is informative. Don't forget to check your library or ask your local bookstore to order it first. I'll share this post on my story and include a link for you to order it if you can't find a copy near you. Check out the Book List highlight on my account to find more!

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Do you know of an end of life related book that you’d like to see added to the list? Is there a really great grief support group in your town? Are you an Arkansan that works in the death field and would like to share your story? Do you have additional questions or comments? Share below!