Celebrating Life: Words of Comfort

By Jim McCann

Reinforcing the 1-800-FLOWERS.COM and Celebrations.com philosophy of helping customers express, connect, and celebrate, Jim McCann balances the practical with the poignant inside Celebrating Life. More than just a collection of sympathetic sentiments, Celebrating Life serves as a catalyst for sharing profound affection, appreciation, grief, and love for someone who has died.

This inspirational gift book of sympathy is perfect for quiet moments of reflection or for sharing at memorials, anniversaries, funerals, wakes, and other special occasions that pay tribute to the life of a loved one. Full-color drawings illustrate the book throughout and are interspersed with meaningful quotes and heartfelt reflections on saying goodbye, healing, remembering, and celebrating life. Divided into four sections, Celebrating Life features 120 entries, including:

* Saying Goodbye: "The gods conceal from men the happiness of death, that they may endure life." --Lucan

* Healing: "What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." --Albert Pike

* "When We Meet Again... : "Is death the last sleep? No, it is the last--and final--awakening." --Sir Walter Scott

* "Reflecting and Rituals: "Death is the most beautiful adventure in life." --Charles Frohman 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
• Release date: May 10, 2011
• ISBN: 9781449406561

Jim McCann

Jim McCann is the founder and CEO of 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. Today, his organization encompasses numerous gift brands and websites, including Fannie May Confections, The Popcorn Factory, Cheryl’s Cookies, 1-800-Baskets.com, FruitBouquets.com, StockYards.com, FineStationery.com, and Celebrations.com—in addition to a network of 1-800-Flowers franchise shops across the country. McCann is the author of Stop and Sell the Roses: Lessons from Business and Life and A Year Full of Flowers: Fresh Ideas to Bring Flowers into Your Life Every Day.

Book preview

Copyright ©2011 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.

For information, write Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, an Andrews McMeel Universal company, 1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106

E-ISBN-13: 978-1-4494-0656-1

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010939800

www.andrewsmcmeel.com

ATTENTION: SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES

Andrews McMeel books are available at quantity discounts with bulk purchase for educational, business, or sales promotional use. For information, please write to: Special Sales Department, Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, 1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106.

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Project Manager and Editor: Heidi Tyline King

Designed by Alexis Siroc

Produced by SMALLWOOD & STEWART, NEW YORK CITY

Illustration credit information on page 70.

INTRODUCTION

WHEN I RAN A GROUP HOME for troubled teenagers in my early 20s, we took in a guy on an emergency basis. Kevin was a good-looking kid with a big personality, and almost instantly he became one of the favorites in the group. One night, as he was returning home, he was struck by a car and killed. More than ever before, I found myself in the role of a surrogate father, planning a wake and scrambling to notify any family or friends while at the same time, trying to stay strong for the rest of the boys in the home. That was perhaps the hardest of all. Most of these boys had experienced violence and suffered loss of unimaginable magnitude, and now,