Hi there.

Today, I’m sharing our monthly newsletter feedback video. Thank you so very much to Elizabeth Gross, who shared a newsletter draft for review. This is the first offer newsletter I’ve reviewed here. I hope this is helpful!

Here’s a bit more about Elizabeth: Elizabeth Gross (BA, CATP, CYT) loves helping people navigate life and death transitions as journeys toward deeper self connection and reverence for the mystery of life. Elizabeth is a trained end of life doula and hospice volunteer and holds a proficiency badge in end of life doula care from the National End of Life Doula Alliance (NEDA). Elizabeth apprenticed with one of the only woven burial vessel instructors in the United States, and currently offers natural burial vessels and end of life doula services locally.

You can sign up for Elizabeth’s newsletter on her website.

I hope that reading Elizabeth’s newsletter draft + my hearing my feedback will be helpful for you, sparking ideas and revisions for your own work.

Lastly, don’t forget to leave a comment below to let us know what you think.

Warmly,

Camille

p.s. Mark your calendars! Our next co-writing/peer feedback session will be Friday, November 8 from 12-1:30 pm ET. Register here. These are work sessions where you can write/edit/format your newsletter. The last ½ hour is spent doing peer review. Bring a draft or idea to work on!

Elizabeth’s Draft

Newsletter title: 🍂 From Dust to Dust 🍂

Preview Text: Exploring Local & Sustainable Burial Care Options in The Hudson Valley

Photo by Dead Good Legacies on Unsplash

Dear Reader,

As I reflect on the other funerals I've been to throughout my life, I have both cherished ones and others that bring me pain.

My dad walking alongside me in support as I cried down the church aisle behind my great aunt Rita's casket, and the many community members that showed up to my friend Amy's wake, are some memories I cherish.

The way my grandma didn't look anything like herself after being embalmed, or how everyone was chatting at my grandpa's wake like he wasn't even there, are some memories that bring me pain.

The memories I cherish are those of connection, while the memories that bring me pain are those of disconnection. I wanted to see how my grandma really looked, and I wanted to feel comfortable crying out loud about the fact that my grandpa was gone.

While there are many meaningful experiences that happen at conventional burials (I've listed some of my own above), it's possible to have a burial that brings forth an even deeper sense of connection for those who are still alive, and honor our loved ones in a meaningful way. Through making conscious choices about our or our loved ones' burial care, we can foster the kind of cherished moments that create healing memories, and help us process the grief that's alive and experience the relief that comes from connection.

While there are ways to go about burial care other than our standard conventional and modern western options, those ways are not widely known. Educating ourselves on our various burial care options is important for many reasons. In knowing our options, we can create a burial care plan that reflects the lives of ourselves or our loved ones in a way that's conscious and intentional.

For these reasons, I'm offering a presentation on Thursday, October 10th from 2-4pm called From Dust to Dust: Exploring Local & Sustainable Burial Care Options in The Hudson Valley at the People's Place Wellness and Empowerment Center (Kingston, NY).

Join us next Thursday for a casual discussion of burial options available to you, from conventional to green burial. We will explore ways to make burial care more environmentally friendly such as choosing biodegradable burial vessels, sustainable farewell flower arrangements, and local green cemeteries. If you are considering having a natural burial for yourself or a loved one and would like to better understand locally accessible options for doing so, this presentation is definitely for you. You’ll leave knowing more about local resources to consider when creating a personalized natural burial care plan. There will be one of my handcrafted willow woven burial trays at the presentation for you to see up close, as well as tea and snacks to share in.

Together, we will explore:

● The various legal and affordable burial care options available, from conventional through natural burial

● How to include local and sustainable practices into your burial arrangements such as natural caskets and shrouds, home funerals, and biodegradable floral arrangements

● What resources are available locally to support you to create a burial care plan of your own choosing and design

Event Details:

● Day/Time: Thursday, October 10th from 2-4pm

● Location: The People's Place Wellness and Empowerment Center: 775 Broadway, Kingston, NY 12401

● Cost: Free to the community, brought to you by The Holistic Health Community

If you have a question about this workshop, please feel free to reply to this email, and I'll get back to you soon. I truly hope to see you there.

Peace,

Elizabeth

( Register Here Button )

Video Feedback from Camille

Link to video in case you aren’t able to view it below.

Video feedback posts are for premium subscribers only (that’s you!). Thank you for your support 🖤

Want me to review your newsletter?

I’m looking for a few more newsletters to review this year. To submit a review, email the following to draft@camillefreeman.com 

• A draft of your newsletter either in the body of an email or attached/linked as a Word or Google doc. Please note that I cannot open .pages attachments, and PDFs make my life a little bit harder.

• A link to sign up for your newsletter

• A short bio (2-3 sentences), including a link to your website if relevant

Please note any specific questions or areas you’d like me to address. I will reply within 2-3 weeks with a video review of your newsletter.

There is no charge for this, but when you submit your draft to this address, you acknowledge that I will share your draft and my feedback video with premium subscribers to this newsletter 💚