Ninth Death Cafe Verona
“Then Almitra spoke, saying, "We would ask now of Death."
And he said:
You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one”.
Khalil Gibran (The Prophet)
There were 5 participants at the 9th Death Café here in Verona which took place at Elisabetta’s house.
The conversation developed around the theme of death from the point of view of solitude and how death and solitude are often linked. It may be that we are alone at the moment of death or in any case, even if someone is beside us we are always alone when we die. Perhaps we are also alone after death but of course this is something we have no control over.
For some of us death represents a liberation and there is the hope that we reach a state of peace.
For some there is the hope of being welcomed by those who died before us and others are just curious about the change of state. Some people try to face up to their fears in the hope that the processes of nature will help us to let go and accept death. Other people find it difficult to accept death when it occurs in a violent way, as for example in a terrorist attack or a massacre. We exchanged some opinions about the difference in meaning related to being attached to life and living life to the full.
In the second part of the meeting we concentrated on what we would like to achieve before we die. Examples were: starting a romantic relationship, having a role in society and having significant relationships with others in general .There are some obstacles to the realization of these desires such as not knowing where to start, feeling apathetic about life, fear of making a mistake and the difficulty of interacting with other people.
The comments and words expressed to describe this death café were: it helped me to reflect; it made me more open to other points of view; it stimulated me to think; pleasant; original; deep; intelligent; reflection and introspection; an exchange of views; an opportunity to meet new people; sharing.
