Summary
A write up of Death Cafe Albany
Death Cafe Albany in February included 14 of us, 6 returnees and 8 new attendees. We started by choosing a word we each wished to be covered during the conversation, and we also ended with a "takeaway" word each, which was a nice simple closure ceremony. I wish I'd written them all down on a board or made visible by all, as well as to keep a record. I recall hearing positive surprises like "career," "discovery," "love," and "curiosity," as well as "soul," "afterlife," "grief," and "community grief." Attendees were generous bringing homebaked goods, and helping me set up and take down supplies. Much of the Death Cafe seems to happen not only during the meeting itself, but through the connections made before and after, the networking through the Internet and word of mouth, and many people reaching out to me and other attendees, even if they don't attend themselves.