Natural Resolutions

This month we hear a lot about New Year’s resolutions. What is it about the task of turning the calendar page that prompts us to set a new intention, develop a fresh habit, or make a lifestyle change? And why, if our resolutions fade by February, might we blithely chalk it up to a lack of discipline? Could it be that the darkest days of winter are simply an unnatural season to give birth to resolutions? The wisdom of nature may suggest an answer: Spring is a time of renewal and growth, while Winter is a time to pause and hibernate. Some seasons may be more conducive to “doing” while others may be best to honor “being.” So this winter, let’s resolve to BE – to pause, reflect, lay fallow, and concentrate on creating our own light and building our reserves to fortify us for the year ahead. And then, in the Spring, as we emerge, let our resolutions burst forth and flourish in harmony with new buds on the deciduous trees, blooms for wildflowers, and a new generation of hatchlings.

Whatever time you resolve to make a change in life, whether big or small, may that transformation lead to ever more meaning and purpose. Reflection Park is dedicated to the profound process of transformation. In fact, it’s in our logo. We look forward to sharing our own transformation with you in 2024.

Reflection Park’s First Event!

Although we’re not quite ready to open our gates yet, we are happy to announce our first educational event. Please join us for the inaugural session of Reflection Park’s Education Series at Sandy Spring Museum.

To live well is to get ready to die well. Our daily lives create the person we will be when we die and, thus, the kind of death we will experience. This educational talk will explore goals, strategies, and tactics we can adopt to live meaningful, fulfilled, and productive lives. Chris will lead us in a reflection of our own lives, contemplating what matters deeply to us, considering how we find purpose and meaning, devising a personal mission statement, examining how to take better care of ourselves, and exploring how all of these practices can impact the quality of our death.

Chris Palmer is an author, speaker, wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, educator, professor, and grandfather. He dedicated his professional career to conservation and now devotes his life to issues around death and dying. He is a trained hospice volunteer, and he founded and runs an aging, death, and dying discussion group for the Bethesda Metro Area Village. 

His tenth book, Achieving a Good Death: A Practical Guide to the End of Life, will be published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2024. His previous book, Finding Meaning and Success: Living a Fulfilled and Productive Life, was published in 2021. All proceeds from Chris’ books go to fund scholarships for students at American University.

We hope to offer more community events including lectures, workshops, conversations, movement and mindfulness, and more. Reflection Park is intended to be a place where people from all backgrounds can come together to celebrate life and its many cycles and stages. Please help us to identify the topics and modalities you are most interested in exploring by completing this short community survey.

Development Update

Three local contracting firms are studying our Phase One construction documents in preparation to submit bids by the end of this month. Phase One construction includes an entrance gate just inside the property, a spine road that travels approximately halfway down the property’s length, a maintenance shed near the end of the road, and preparation of the first burial area. This area is drawn in the rendering below, with meandering paths and benches for reflection as well as the planting of up to 60 new trees per acre. The rendering was designed by landscape architects from Macris, Hendricks, and Glascock, one of the many consultants we are working with to help bring our vision to life. 

The actual start of construction is pending receipt of permits. Gaining all the approvals needed in this commercial permit process has been a long process, and we have learned to be patient. Each day brings us closer to groundbreaking, which we hope will occur within the next few months.

In parallel, we have submitted several documents to the Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight in support of our application for licensure. These documents are currently under review. 

Your Questions Answered

We continue to receive questions about Reflection Park. Answers to those questions plus many others can be found on our FAQs page. If you do not find an answer to your question there, please email us at info@reflectionpark.org.

How can I express interest in pre-need burial offerings while I await Reflection Park’s opening?

We are frequently asked how to express interest in our offerings ahead of our opening. In response, we have created a place on our website where you can do just that. If you would like to be contacted as soon as we can offer pre-need arrangements, please complete the relevant information in our updated contact form and we will reach out to you as soon as we open.

More ways to stay in touch….

In addition to our website and newsletter, Reflection Park has a social media presence on Instagram and Facebook. Please follow, share, and interact with us! We plan to publish content weekly.

Reflection Park is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity, and all donations are tax deductible. We are grateful for every dollar contributed in support of our mission to create a sacred place that celebrates the cycle of life, death, and renewal. More information can be found on our donation page.

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