Death Cafe profile for Susan Barber
Location: United States
http://www.missionhospice.org/
About Susan Barber:
I have been working in end of life care for more than 28 years now, more thanhalf my life! I am currently at Mission Hospice & Home Care in San Mateo CA and so grateful to be working in an organization that understand what Cicely Saunders had in mind when she began the hospice movement 50+ years ago.
I have been hosting Death Cafes in Alameda CA, my home, since late 2013, and was recently given the go ahead to do the same here in San Mateo County.
We have hosted Palo ALto's first Death Cafe, and will host several more this year in partnership with Seniors at Home, a division of Jewish Family & Children's Services, and we will also be hosting with other community partners.
Death Cafe continues to be a highlight of my month, as the converastions are always inspiring, stimulating and real!
What brings you to Death Cafe?
My 28+ years of being in a relationship with death, what keeps me coming back are the amazing conversations I've been privvy to in Death Cafes.
What would you like your legacy to be?
That those who I came into contact with were able to ease their suffering, find a way through difficult times, and know his/her self in a deeper, more meaningful way...and that death is not the enemey...Not living our lives is the enemy, or living our life in fear, anger, shame, or not enoughness... Death just reminds us of how much we have wanted to do, and haven't! Just do it now!
Thoughts for sharing:
My teacher, mentor and friend, Stephen Levine's, quote that "death is just a change of lifestyle" rings true... as does his quote about healing - which goes something like this: Healing is touching with compassion and awareness those places that we have turned away from in fear and pain...
I am grateful to my friends who have died, and have taught me so, so much about life, living, love and what's important.
Their courage, fear,strength and vulnerabilty provide a model for me to be able to do this work!
Contact Susan Barber
Susan Barber's posts on the Death Cafe website
With Seniors at Home, a Division of Jewish Family & Children's Services
June 15, 2016, 6.30 p.m. - 8.30 p.m. (Pacific)
Donations requested to cover food costs
One of the prinicipals of Death Cafe is that no service, products, sales pitches, or ideas about what is the 'right' way or 'wrong' way to approach ideas about death ...