Summary for 04/08/2019: DC-Hillsborough NC
This is the summary I emailed to my group. It has been edited with updates and deletions. Hello everyone, I hope you are staying well, physically and mentally. Thank you to those who joined the conversations during the April 8th Death Café – Hillsborough (DC-H) – our first Zoom call! It went very well and, as usual, we learned new things! Using Zoom changed our dynamic yet it also allowed three new people to join us, including from Greensboro and Pittsboro! We are grateful for UMC allowing us to use their Zoom account (versus their “little house” where we normally meet in person). If you have not yet sent a few dollars to say thanks for last week, here is their website: uniongroveumc.org and mailing address: 6407 Union Grove Church Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Thank you for thanking them. There has been a marked increase in “Virtual Death Cafés” worldwide! This is not only due to the fact we can’t meet in person but also because more people are seriously contemplating their mortality and thus are more willing to discuss death and dying. To illustrate, the April 8th DC-H was #11109 on deathcafe.com. The next DC-H on May 13th is #11401. That’s a much larger jump in number than usual from one month to the next! Information about the next DC-H, plus others in our area, follows a key-points summary of our 04/08 meeting. • The book I told you about as shared via email from Bob Whyte: “Living in the Light of Death,” by Larry Rosenberg. Basically it’s about the art of being truly alive. • Here’s the link to the “coronavirus feelings checklist” we all looked at using the split screen. We called out and discussed the “words to describe how you’re feeling as the world shifts to a new way of being.” https://www.endoflifedoulaalliance.com/post/coronavirus-feelings-checklist • We put some thought into where we each “were” before this pandemic then pondered how we each (and collectively as communities, and a world) hope we’ll be changed in 3 months. We modified the original verb “think” to “hope.” • Sky burial was mentioned. Anne said she shares the Wikipedia definition. Here’s the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_burial • The link for the Crestone end of life project: http://informedfinalchoices.org/crestone/ • Emailed from Mary: “This is a beautiful essay (as well as audio version) that relates to so much of tonight.” https://emergencemagazine.org/story/imagining-burial/ • Towards the end of our meeting the request (need) to LAUGH popped up. Neidra split the screen and showed the funnies that were emailed from her Dad’s “joke buddy” – these were requested to be forwarded so I am sending them to only those in attendance (the folks who asked). If, however, you weren’t with us last week and would like some cartoon-like funnies emailed to you, please let me know! I’m happy to send them to you too! Georgia sent the >attached picture< for you all to get a good chuckle at (thanks!). Thank you for the funny video facebook link you sent, Maryann, but it didn’t work when I tried it today. Upcoming Death Cafes in our area ***ARE TEMPORARILY POSTPONED >IN-PERSON< DUE TO COVID-19 Some are available via Zoom** Mark your calendars for the next DC-Hillsborough May 13th, 6pm-8pm, via Zoom meeting. I will email a reminder which will include *the Zoom link* 2-3 days prior. If you are on Facebook, please “like” the Death Café-Hillsborough page (search @deathcafehillsborough) and stay updated. May’s event is: https://www.facebook.com/events/155883549084533/ The “officially approved” DC-Hillsborough 05/13 event listing is on www.deathcafe.com at https://deathcafe.com/deathcafe/11401/ PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE NEXT -- DEATH CAFÉ – HILLSBOROUGH VIA ZOOM! MAY 13, 2020 6:00 – 8:00PM Well, this is usually an in-person potluck -- so how about we bring our supper and favorite beverages (did someone say DESSERT?) to the Zoom meeting instead!?! We will eat and drink while talking about all-things-death, sharing stories and knowledge, and most definitely -- we will laugh! Registration, or RSVP, is not required. Just show up, and feel free to bring friends! See you there, fellow mortals! Neidra