Kirby Pines Retirement Community | The Pinecone

• 8 • The Pinecone | September 2026 Congratulations to our CHAMPION of the Month BRIAN ALEXANDER Business Office Manager, Caring In Place Brian exceeds expectations in all capacities. I love the compassion and the interactions he has with residents and our caregivers. His kindness, attention to detail and dependability he exhibits everyday is amazing. Brian works tirelessly to ensure our schedule for residents and caregivers is always taken care of and quickly adjusts as needed. He is truly an asset to our team. - Brandy Pitman, Director of Caring In Place Describe Your Family: My family is very close; my parents, my daughter, two brothers and a sister. Describe yourself in five words: Funny, humble, lively, loyal, compassionate. Your favorite thing about your job: Getting to know the residents and hearing their life stories. Do you have any hobbies: Basketball, cooking and traveling. Pets: A Rottweiler named, Major. What do you do for fun: Spend time with family and go to amusement parks. Favorite food: Ribeye Steak. Favorite song: Preach by Adolph Thornton. What is something you are proud of: The relationship with my daughter and seeing her thrive. What would you like people to know about you: I LOVE the Memphis Grizzlies and living life. As a pastor I have spent a good bit of time in funeral homes. Pastors often visits families of deceased persons in funeral homes to plan funeral services. I haven’t paid much attention to coffins until recently. A magazine news note got my attention. Funeral homes in Japan have started a new trend - ”coffin lying” - or meditating on death inside a coffin. At coffin lounges, customers can pick an open or closed casket to spend about 30 minutes lying inside it for about $13. Some services offer music, visuals projected on the ceiling, and colorfully decorated caskets are designed to calm the nerves while customers are coming to terms with death. One coffin maker says meditating in one of her designer caskets helps people see that “death is light and not scary.” Reflections Maxie Dunnam By My hunch is this whole issue is laughable to you who have chosen to read about it. You may wonder why I have given it my attention. The big reason is we have givenmeditation too little attention. There is far more to it than I write about here. I can make one claim. In our meditation we focus on the greatness, love, care, mercy, presence, and power of God. We are lifted above our own limitations. Our minds are directed to a source of strength beyond ourselves. We gain perspective on our own time and circumstances. Problems are seen in a different light. It often happens that problems untangle and confusion often vanishes. In meditation a presence and power, unsought and unasked for comes, and we can give attention that develops into adoration and praise. We don’t need a casket or funeral home for this. We need to take the time and find the right place, and not in a funeral home. September Vesper Services 6:30pm | Performing Arts Center September 3: Douglas Beggs Retired Southern Baptist Minister September 10: Rev SamMcElroy Legacy Adults Pastor, Bellevue Baptist Church September 17: David Jackson Elder, Highland Church of Christ September 24: Rainey Seagers Chaplain, St. Mary’s Episcopal School WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO MEDITATE TODAY