Death Cafe write-ups
Westport Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Val Lovelace on Nov. 20, 2014, 7:59 p.m.
The thing i love the most about Death Cafe is that I never know what will come up and I find myself fascinated and delighted as topics arise.
Tonight we enjoyed fresh-baked oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies, coffee, tea, and discussions about old photographs, family keepsakes, estate planning, and learning how to keep living and reinventing oneself all the while aging.
A regular Death Cafe visitor talked about how she and her husband have been able to have richer, deeper conversations about their will and estate since attending Death Cafe, and have been talking with their daughter (who is their trustee and executrix).
Someone asked about natural burial ...
Death Cafe Bremerton, WA Write up
Posted by ameliamjcarroll on Nov. 20, 2014, 2:57 p.m.
This was the third Death Cafe that I have facilitated on the Kitsap Peninsula - two in Port Orchard and this one in Bremerton. The two in Port Orchard were in private homes and the Bremerton Death Cafe was held at Heron Lodge - a beautiful setting on Wildcat Lake. Interest continues to grow. Twelve - fourteen people attended each of the Port Orchard Death Cafes - and seventeen attended the recent Death Cafe in Bremerton. Of the seventeen, fourteen were new people who had not attended a Death Cafe before. From it, one of the guests will be hosting Death Cafe, Poulsbo on January 17th in her home and we are ...
Highcliffe Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Lis Horwich on Nov. 20, 2014, 3:54 a.m.
A very pleasant afternoon with one new member, a local Buddist, she hopes her husband will join us next time. So with different religions repesented we always have inlightend conversations based on people's religious upbringing. We talked about Dr Eben Aleaxander's books on near death experience. Many similar books have been written, but these became NY best sellers! We also looked at soul journey, the fact we are all energy-everything is energy and benefits from a Living Will. So never a dull moment. Photo of the venue's view of a lovely autumn garden.
This afternoon we held our first Death Cafe in East Greenwich, RI at the Westminster Unitarian Church. 22 people were in attendance and the conversation was lively and enlightening. We had a delicious Lemon Burst cake from Gregg's, great coffee from Updike's Newtowne and assorted teas for the non-coffee drinkers. We will have our next Cafe in January in the evening at the same location so that we can accomodate those who work during the day.
SW London Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Suzanne Michal on Nov. 19, 2014, 9:22 a.m.
It quickly became apparent that we were all going to be at ease in revealing deeper stuff about ourselves... So, we heard tales of ...
taking LSD in one's youth and how those experiences generating a new definitaion of what reality is for that person (now in their seventies)..
how a lady survived laying for 28 hours with a stroke before someone find her and she is alive to tell the story...
living with mouth cancer...
becoming a massage therapist for end of life patients...
being bereaved from someone who died in awful circustances in an earthquake...
As the evening passed, our aliveness grew... to share such experiences ...
The second Death Cafe' held in our small, rural town on October 22nd, was again, well recieved. There were 18 folks in attendence. For this gathering, we broke into smaller groups. This change was well recieved and feedback was very positive. We had cake and tea. The next Death Cafe' is scheduled for November 19th.
Death Cafe - Sydney Write up
Posted by April Lewis on Nov. 12, 2014, 5:11 p.m.
I turned up to ‘death café’ alone - on a humid sunny day in Annandale. It had taken me two attempts to get up the guts, but I’m glad that I did; because the enormous berry muffins, lovely coffee and genuine company made this a really worthwhile experience. In this culturally rare space conversation flowed and I was surprised at how comfortable it felt to talk about death. For me, I had spent twenty six years suppressing my grief so it was a relief to feel able to speak. I heard sad stories and funny ones - from someone whose husband had died a mere month ago to a ...
Death Cafe Mullumbimby Write up
Posted by deathcafennsw on Nov. 11, 2014, 7:03 p.m.
What a great night, We had 42 registrations and 50 people in the room. Some people left early but, it was a lateish night.
Thanks to The Empire Cafe for great food and service.
Death Cafe Northumberland Write up
Posted by Northumberland on Nov. 11, 2014, 1:22 p.m.
Our group " Last Breath " hosted our last Death Cafe Northumberland event for 2014 in October on the sandy shores of Cobourg Ontario. We had 21 people attend ( last minute cancelling of 8 people ) and are never disappointed in what unfolds in the way of sharing and conversing on this difficult subject of death. We are in the process of scheduling our next year's events and adding film presentations and discussions on alternate days. It seems this discussion topic is ever expanding and desired so we will keep hosting for those who desire such a gathering.
Highcliffe Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Lis Horwich on Nov. 11, 2014, 4:08 a.m.
First evening death cafe tonight, so busy chatting about death, that I forgot to take a photo whilst everyone were here. The roses and candle gives an impression of the totally relaxed atmosphere whilst death was turned upside down among people who had never met before! Thank you for coming.
DødsCafe København /Death Cafe Copenhagen Write up
Posted by Ellen Hansen on Nov. 9, 2014, 2:22 a.m.
Again, we had fine two fine hours together. Sitting around two tables we were 13 persons - ages between around 30 and 80.
Laughs and tears, talking about our own death as well as the death of our loved ones and also the death of people that are not so close but yet important for us.
We, the organizers, have made useful guidelines for how to secure an empathic and open-minded frame.
A journalist wished to participate for writing an article in her newspaper, as we also have experiencing before. Our way of instructing and framing that situation was also satisfying, so that she could be there as she ...
Tuonen Tupa- Death Cafe Write up
Posted by kmarttinen on Nov. 8, 2014, 9:11 a.m.
We met again in Lappeenranta and had many interested participants to show up. This time conversation was about immident death and fears and also about hard to accept children and infant deaths.
Before the Death Cafe we listened to guitar music played by Konsta Kuronen to music composed by his great uncle Eino Partanen. Music was composed around the time when E.Partanen's 7-year old son succumbed to brain tumor.
Time seemed to be too short again, all the best (=spontaneous) comments started flowing in the doorway. We will meet again next month for sure. And talk about issues we didn't get to talk about today
Death Café Marrickville has come and gone again, yet echoes of the conversation that took place still resound in my mind.
Hosted by Lazy Bones Lounge, old and new faces met and exchanged thoughts, feelings and attitudes about all things death.
My impression of the afternoon was that it was almost a relief to be able to talk about death and to explore not only our feelings but the reactions of others toward our perceptions of death and our ease at its inevitability.
As previously, discussion was free-flowing, agenda-free and non-structured and although the group was smaller in number this time, conversation ripped along at a furious pace ...
Flagstaff September Death Cafe Write up
Posted by aleia@furthershore.org on Nov. 5, 2014, 6:20 p.m.
This Cafe was attended by 33 participants ages 19 to 84, men and women. We are again joined today by several young students of sociology, sustainable communities, counseling and other schools within the local Northern Arizona University. Patrons thoroughly enjoyed gf ‘blondie’s’, apple slices with caramel dipping sauce and organic cheese and crackers. Round table discussion groups of 8 to 10 each discussed various topics including:
End of life medical interventions ~ why not write it down NOW instead of when you cannot speak?
Doctors don’t always honor a DNR! This is upsetting and the politics around it are confounding.
Grieving is okay, it is good to ...
Denver Death Cafe-October Write up
Posted by Anita Larson on Nov. 4, 2014, 11:53 a.m.
Denver Death Café Summary
October 26, 2014
Thank you to First Universalist Church for hosting the October Denver Death Cafe and providing refreshments. Thank you to Ardis, Rod & Ilene for setting everything up and that funny cake!
Anita Larson, Celebrant & Facilitator opened the meeting by talking about the “Before I Die” project and the positive responses it is getting globally. Candy Chang painted the side of an abandoned house in her neighborhood with chalkboard paint and stenciled it with a grid of the sentence “Before I die I want to ____”. Anyone walking by could pick up a piece of chalk, reflect on their lives and share their ...