Welcome to Worm Food
So, you’ve been thinking about death, huh?
Woke up in the middle of the night, chest full of existential dread at the realization that you, your parents, your pets, everyone you’ve ever loved, cared about, or just interacted with will eventually cease to exist?
Been there.
When my mom’s husband died unexpectedly in the spring of 2019, I wasn’t unfamiliar with the idea of death, grief, or loss. I’d lost grandparents, pets, and witnessed friends experience more than their fair share of great losses over the years. But on the day her husband died, both my mother and I were thrust into an entirely new situation for us: the immediate day-to-day aftermath of death.
Who do we call about the body? Which funeral home is the right choice? Will he be cremated? What do we put his remains into? Where should we post an obituary? How do we even write one? When do we call insurance companies or credit card providers? How many death certificates do we need? Who needs a legal death certificate and who will just take a copy? We were left to navigate this new landscape on our own while my mom was wading through an immense grief that made it difficult just to get through the day let alone handle all of the details left behind in her husband’s wake.
Humans are blessed and cursed with the knowledge of their own mortality and yet, so many of us completely ignore anything to do with death until it shows up at our doorstep unexpected or at the worst possible time, I know I did. Our society finds death and those who talk about it to be morbid, depressing, uncouth, or tacky. They make others uncomfortable unless of course you find someone who has been thrown to the wolves after a loved one’s death and then they’re are all too happy to finally have someone to commiserate with about the experience.
Since 2019, I’ve made it my personal mission to make more people have these “uncomfortable” conversations well before they have to. But I only have access to so many people in my actual life and that’s where Worm Food comes in. Using humor, personal experience, and extensive research I want to give you the head start you need to be able to face death (your own and of those you love) better prepared and less panicked.
Worm Food is here to be your advantage when the day eventually comes where maybe your partner doesn’t wake up or your Dad is on life support and you have a million questions. We’re not a crisis line, we’re a leg up. So check out the Thanatofiles to learn what forms you need to fill out or who should have a will (spoiler: everybody). Click on the Compost Bin if you’re curious about grieving in other cultures or the Family Plot to figure out how to bring up these important topics with the important people in your life. And if you’re looking for more personal anecdotes or just to catch up on death news, the Death Cap should be your next stop.
Death is coming. So is the paperwork.But remember, the early bird gets the Worm!
