Death Cafe write-ups
Windy City Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Kathy Miller, LCPC on June 10, 2015, 1:28 p.m.
Fifteen guests gathered together on an intermittently sunny and rainy Sunday afternoon at 2nd Unitarian Church in Chicago to explore death. Guests conversed easily about the importance of sharing one's wishes with family members and loved ones, and brainstormed practical ideas about how to start the conversation. Suggestions included using a 5 Wishes document or something similar to document the practical aspects of one's wishes, and using that as a platform to get into the emotional considerations. Other subjects discussed included gender roles in caretaking, healthcare POAs, funeral practices and experiences, and considering how death informs how one chooses to live. A lively and informative afternoon!
Over 30 people showed up for our very first Death Cafe, in conjunction with the first installation of the Boulder County Before I Die Walls! The library hosted with a fun skull cake, and the space was perfect for breaking in to small groups to accomodate more intimate conversation. The attendees are asking for more!
Death Cafe Honolulu (#3) Write up
Posted by Leilani Maxera on June 9, 2015, 4:17 p.m.
Our 3rd Death Café Honolulu had 14 participants. We switched venues, as the one we held our first two at, the Monarch Tea Room in Na Mea Books, closed down. One of our regular attendees is on the Board of the O’ahu Cemetery, and she put us in contact with the operator. They graciously offered to host us, and we held the Café on the lanai of their chapel.
The setting was beautiful, as we overlooked the lush, tree-filled cemetery. There were plenty of fresh flowers on the graves, as it was Memorial Day weekend.
Before the Café started, the owner gave us a tour of ...
Highcliffe Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Lis Horwich on June 9, 2015, 7:50 a.m.
Highcliffe Death Café
We had such a lively evening at Highcliffe Death Café, which was very much helped by our 3 new members. We had among us a local funeral director. She kindly answered many questions we have had during many café meetings and cleared up some misunderstandings about the dying process.
Talked about DOL=Deprivation of Liberty, which wheels start to turn when a death certificate is written? The state automatically lets many authorities know about a person’s affairs. The financial affairs are purely down to the person with power of attorney.
The prices of coffins were discussed and the fact the need some kind of ...
Filmed Death Cafe Hampstead, London, UK Write up
Posted by Josefine Speyer on June 9, 2015, 5:12 a.m.
Yesterday's filmed Death Cafe for Metro.co.uk was a great success. Nine of us sat around the oval table in the middle of the room, talking about death, whilst Ethan Daish, the young journalist armed with a camera, quietly moved around filming. We had a great time and the conversation flowed. Some of the things we spoke about were a funeral director speaking about organising a close family member's funeral, different funeral traditions, not following family traditions, funeral traditions in different cultures ; waking up at night in shock at the thought of dying one day (or could it be the realisation, "I am ALIVE! Now ...
Death Cafe - Fremantle Write up
Posted by Death Cafe - Fremantle on June 8, 2015, 9:10 p.m.
I was very lucky to be approached by WA Today about the Death Cafe movement and the impact its having on the citizens of Fremantle.
We had 9 people in attendance, the first DC that had a balance of men and women! It was a mixed conversation, ranging from philosophical ideals about death to lived experiences and the imminent deaths of parents.
The article in WA Today can be found here, just copy and paste the link into your browser...http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/death-cafe-coffee-muffin-and-a-coffin-20150608-ghiht3
It's propelled this conversation even further than I anticipated...I've got an invitation to be on Radio New Zealand ...
Death Cafe, Winchester, Virginia Write up
Posted by Mary Jane Lee on June 8, 2015, 3:36 p.m.
Death Cafe June 7, 2015
A bright and dynamic group of twelve people gathered around the table at Steamy’s Cafe in Winchester, VA on a bright and beautiful day in June.
A story of a dedicated caregiver for many people was told. After tending to her beloved husband for more than 20 years, his death came peacefully, and now she wishes to be alone for awhile, to be quiet before the rituals and family surround her. A time for grace, introspection, and rest.
The right to determine one’s time for dying is always a topic of interest and dialogue. The right to choose to die before ...
SW London Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Suzanne Michal on June 2, 2015, 5:49 a.m. 1 comment
17 people turned up to what became a lively, sometimes fun (I was sitting next to a man with a great dark sense of humour) and profound exploration around many facets of death and dying.
It took only the first round of introduction, in small groups to hit deep angles such as when the will to die overcomes someone facing traumatic pain after an operation, clearing war sites in Afganistan of dead bodies, is it normal not to have any fear of death, why do we hold onto people who are ready to die of old age, what makes a funeral meaningful, writing to someone on death row ...
Death Cafe Summertown, Oxford Write up
Posted by Joan @Oxbel on May 27, 2015, 4:11 p.m.
‘It was great to share time and views with others and gain new support ideas and strategies to help others’ Death Cafe participant
Oxfordshire Befriending for Life (OxBEL ) marked Dying Matters week 2013 with three death cafes aimed at encouraging ordinary people, going about their everyday lives, to spend a little time thinking and talking about death, dying and life.
Most people were surprised at how relaxed and comfortable they felt chatting about the issues that sprang to mind when they started reflecting on death and dying. They were also surprised at how much humour and laughter there was.
Several people did say they found the title ’Death ...
Zweites Death Cafe Zürich Write up
Posted by DeathCafeZurich on May 27, 2015, 1:03 p.m.
An einem regnerischen Frühlingstag trafen sich knapp zwanzig Menschen und ein Hund im raum44 in Zürich bei Kaffee und Kuchen zum ungezwungenen Austausch rund um den Tod. Wiederkehrende und neue Gesichter hielten sich die Waage. Auf zwei Tische verteilt fanden die Gruppen rasch ihren Einstieg ins Gespräch. Einzig war der Widerhall im schönen grossen Raum so erheblich, dass ein manchmal störender Lärmteppich entstand.
Dessen ungeachtet wurden angeregt persönliche Erfahrungen mit Sterben und Tod sowie gesellschaftliche Themen (z.B. Sterbehilfe und der Tod als Geschäft) zur Sprache gebracht. Die Stimmung im Raum war vertrauensvoll und vorurteilsfrei. Die zwei Stunden war viel ...
Death Cafe Beeston Write up
Posted by TapasTaster on May 27, 2015, 9:48 a.m.
I attended this event following the recent death of my father.
Found Death Cafe Beeston in Nottinghamshire, UK, was friendly, inclusive, welcoming and well facilitated by Jet Black, our charming and engaging host.
If you are curious about what a Death Cafe is about I'd strongly recommend attending one near you.
Not morbid, life enhancing and offered plenty of food for thought about dealing with death in an open candid and surprisingly positive way.
This was an excellent use of 2 hours over the weekend for me, given my circumstances I found it to be a holding,safe and healing 'third space'
There was a diverse range ...
St. George, Maine Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Sylvia Sienikehä Elysiana on May 26, 2015, 1:31 p.m.
The first cafe in St. George, Maine was a beautiful event with 12 attendees, split into 3 groups of 4. Free flowing conversation over tea, coffee and skull shaped bliss balls dusted with shredded coconut, studded with raisin eye sockets.
My 10 year old daughter co-hosted and surprised us with a handmade scythe she'd made out of cardboard, duct tape and a broom stick.
Thanks for the excellent discussion last night. Lots of thinking about science, religion, truth, and death.
Liskeard Death Cafe Write up
Posted by greenrites on May 22, 2015, 12:13 p.m.
A moving, humorous sharing Death Cafe, took place today in the Hub Vegetarian Cafe, Liskerrett Centre, Liskeard, Cornwall.
We shared tea, cake and experiences with matters surrounding death and dying... today we were led to discuss the sensitive subject of donation of organs, and how hard that feels to decide on the right thing to do, when logic dictates one thing and your emotions say the opposite... we were privileged to hear how one of our members has made provision to odonate the whole of his body, for research, after his death. We heard harrowing tales of choices having to be made, in impossible situations, and the whole ...
Providence Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Cassandra Tribe on May 20, 2015, 9:21 p.m.
A good turnout on our new night, the third Wednesday of each month. Tonight we had our usual cake and fruit, but also were graced with homemade hummus and chips. The conversation ranged far and wide from problems a local Druid has with finding a natural burial ground, to the functional apparatus and methods of determining the point of death. We talked about the patterns that happen with death and how it can effect grief and belief. Small tokens changed hands to add to a certain someone's collection and again - we were paid a very high compliment of being a death cafe in which there was a ...