Death Cafe profile for Janet Meintjes


Location: South Africa

http://www.theschool.co.za/

About Janet Meintjes:

My deep love and connection with nature has fed into my understanding of death being as much a part of life and its cycle as birth. Both events are unchosen and inevitable and how we die could / should reflect how we have lived if we so choose, as we do have choices, many of which are not made readily available. Now in my mature years, I have spent much time thinking and talking about the subject of death. I now have a desire to share these choices and to hear about others and in so doing help us to not fear death but to embrace it.


What brings you to Death Cafe?

I have been acutely aware for many years now how, in general, the Western view of death seems inadequate and with a strong bias toward death being the end, the finale of a life. Now in my 6th decade, death and everything to do with it interests me particularly in regards to discovering the various options that might be available that are made not common knowledge.  I have spent many years researching these options that cover pre-death preparation, the event of the death itself and the post death (funeral) options. Death Cafe is the ideal platform to share these and any/ all other options, ideas, issues to do with death within a safe, contained space. Everyone thinks about death and yet we are often dissauded from talking about it. A Death Cafe opens this conversation in a non-judgemental, open and curious manner that assists in understanding it and all the issues that might accompany a death.


What would you like your legacy to be?

I would like my life (and therfore my death) to be my legacy. That all the sorrow and joy, the love, the distress and the wisdom gained thereby be shared. That my lessons learnt might shed some light on the paths of those who follow and like the new trees I have planted, to give shade when the sun burns too hot.


Thoughts for sharing:

"Death belongs to life as birth does.

  The walk is in the raising of the foot as in the laying of it down."

                       TAGORE,

from STRAY BIRDS, CCLXV11

 

As the above quote reflects... death is part of life and my overwhelming feeling is that we need to be celebrating the life that has passed as much as we grieve its passing.


Contact Janet Meintjes



Janet Meintjes's posts on the Death Cafe website


Death Cafe: Death Cafe Garden Route

Posted by Janet Meintjes on Feb. 22, 2021, 1:19 p.m.



With Janet Meintjes, Fiona Smith, Adela Staegemann

April 8, 2021, 6.00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m. (UTC+2)

Accepts donations

this will be a monthly event held at The School which is both a residence and Coffee Shop. We will be hosting Private Cafe sessions i.e. for X ±12 ...





Contact Janet Meintjes

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