Rituals Archives – O'Connor Mortuary

10 05, 2017

If Your Mom has Died, If Your Child has Died … The Shadow Side of Mother’s Day

By Molly Keating| 2017-05-10T15:57:57-07:00 May 10th, 2017|Child Loss, Parental Loss|0 Comments

This post isn't to take away from the joy of those celebrating or being celebrated this Mother's Day - go for it, enjoy and make the most of your time with the people you love. But for those of you who are in the shadow-side of Mother's Day because your mother has died, or, because your child has died, let's talk, this post is for you. If your mom has died ... Well, you will get through, you will. You may feel alone in it, so let me encourage you to invite her in to the day. Find ways of [...]

4 06, 2014

A Buddhist Memorial Service: Making Time to Remember Years Later

By Molly Keating| 2014-06-04T21:00:58-07:00 June 4th, 2014|Ceremonies|41 Comments

It is Buddhist practice to hold a memorial service for loved ones every set number of years after their death. Recently, my family and I gathered for a memorial service for not just one family member but 3: my grandpa, grandma, and mom. My grandpa died 14 years ago, my grandma 6 years ago, and my mom 5 years ago. Traditionally, these services consist of chanting, incense offering, and a message by the reverend. The service functions as a time for you to meditate on the memories of the one who died and to recognize the impermanence of our own [...]

5 11, 2013

A “Fishy” Funeral

By Molly Keating| 2013-11-05T20:33:32-08:00 November 5th, 2013|Ceremonies, Inspiration, Resources & Information|42 Comments

Photo Courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/Jasmina81 My brother died. It was about a week after we had returned home from my brother’s funeral in Michigan when my son, Sam, found his fish dead. Tears were streaking down his sweet face as he ran into our bedroom to tell me Sam Jr. was dead. After my husband and I and our older son each offered Sam our condolences, our family made the decision to have a funeral for Sam Jr. My son, with a look of determination, said “We will have the funeral tonight after dinner. I need to decide [...]

29 10, 2013

How Halloween Came to Be

By Molly Keating| 2013-10-29T23:20:06-07:00 October 29th, 2013|General|43 Comments

**For a great listing of local Halloween festivities, click here or here. Halloween-time is my favorite time of the year. Admittedly, I’m more in love with the harvest look that shakes the trees, the colder weather, and the infamous PSL, but I also relish the spooky-murky-creepiness of the only holiday that fits my love of X-Files, Harry Potter, and Tim Burton all into one day. Photo Courtesy of ©Stockphoto.com//gianlucabartoli But besides making the mortuary a “cool” place to work for a month, this holiday is also the only one that actively recognized the dead in its celebration. Do [...]

3 07, 2013

Gettysburg: Haunting Me Still

By Molly Keating| 2013-07-03T05:00:16-07:00 July 3rd, 2013|General|14 Comments

Gettysburg: Haunting Me Still While many of you will be celebrating the 4th of July tomorrow, tonight, at my house, there will be a small gathering of people to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Ok, so that’s pretty different, perhaps you think it’s odd; I have two things to say to that: Anniversaries are sacred, AND you don’t know my mother. me, haunting Gettysburg like a pro I grew up in a house with a mortician and a history teacher – a very interesting combo that I think explains the picture here to the [...]

18 09, 2012

Sitting Outside: A Surfer’s Perspective On Letting Life Pass You By

By Molly Keating| 2012-09-18T05:00:40-07:00 September 18th, 2012|Inspiration|24 Comments

Sitting Outside: A Surfer’s Perspective On Letting Life Pass You By Have you ever watched surfers as they sit and wait for the waves to roll in? At most surf breaks, the line-up of surfers stretches from the inside section closest to shore, to the middle section which is usually at the most active peaks, to the outside section where a few surfers sit and wait for the largest of the set waves. Over the decades that I’ve been surfing, I spent most of my time in the line-up sitting outside, usually way outside, waiting for the biggest [...]

27 08, 2012

Journaling: The 5 Year Plan

By Molly Keating| 2012-08-27T05:00:27-07:00 August 27th, 2012|General|21 Comments

I began journaling when I was 5. I have loved writing and recording the memories of my day for a long time. Writing down the day's events was a delight to me every night. Between the ages of 5 and 13 I filled over 15 journals with entries, taping tickets to a movie into the page or a letter from a pen pal; I even illustrated some days - they were THAT good. As I got older my entries became less frequent and began to feel like a burden. I couldn't commit to all the detail I was used to [...]

30 12, 2011

Happy New Year: The Importance of Preparation

By Molly Keating| 2017-12-18T08:50:37-08:00 December 30th, 2011|Planning Ahead|14 Comments

As we all prepare for a New Year, I’m reminded of the importance of preparation. I’d venture to say that all of us, in one way or another, are prepared for some things and not prepared for other things. For me, I like to be prepared when I go on vacation. You may love to be prepared when company comes over or preparing for a special date. When we’re prepared, we position ourselves to handle the inevitable challenges that come in life. […]

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