Death Cafe write-ups
Online Upminster Death Cafe BST Write up
Posted by MortuaryGem on Oct. 14, 2020, 11:21 a.m.
The event was a calm one with a lot of sharing about personal experiences of elderly relatives being in hospitals, care homes or dying. It was a pleasure to host because it felt like people gained some real insight into others experiences and how that impacted them. Not everyone shared and it was nice to have a largish group with some people just listening in. We covered others topics such as animal death and COVIDs impact on our thoughts and culture around death.
'Death Cafe' Tunbridge Wells Online BST Write up
Posted by carmeldunmall on Oct. 14, 2020, 5:35 a.m.
5 of us met on Zoom, the conversation was deep and moving. We were able to communicate on a very real level.
Ibiza Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Ibiza Death Cafe on Oct. 4, 2020, 6:57 a.m.
Winter is upon us! It seems the island of Ibiza is going to sleep early this year. A death of another kind, a death of a strange and surreal summer. We look forward to the next Ibiza Death Cafe (Tuesday 27th October) where we will celebrate el Dia de los Muertos.
Tucson Online MSTFriendly & Fearless Death Cafe Write up
Posted by TucsonFFDeathCafe on Oct. 2, 2020, 6:23 p.m.
Wrestling with the ever-present dynamic of “doing and being” one person queried, “Why do I always have to be doing something, and what is enough?” Getting to the feeling of “it is enough,” can be a radical relief. For the questioner, the poem, “Theory of Memory,” by Louise Gluck, was illuminating.
“Long, long ago, before I was a tormented artist, afflicted with longing yet
incapable of forming durable attachments, long before this, I was a glorious ruler uniting all of a divided country—so I was told by the fortune-teller who examined my palm. Great things, she said, are ahead of you, or perhaps behind you; it is ...
Tucson Online MST Friendly & Fearless Death Cafe Write up
Posted by TucsonFFDeathCafe on Sept. 28, 2020, 7:39 p.m.
“If I go towards it (death), it’s incredible and informs my life.” “Anticipation is killing me... learning to embrace the whole thing from beginning to end…what I’ve learned, regrets, beauty, and being accountable to my friends. To go beyond who we’ve been, beyond fate.” Once I came up with these three words, “deliberate life completion,” I found freedom. Powerful statements from last week’s Café! Gratitude to all the bright embodied souls who visit our Tucson Café and share stories, struggles, and big life wisdom.
The dying wish is something of legend, of quest, a sacred trust. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dying wish was ...
I erroneously indicated on Meetup that this Death Cafe was occurring both in person and online. In fact, it was occurring online only. Initially no-one came online, and then after some time, a single person from the USA appeared. We spoke for some time, but he was at work at the time, and so it could not participate fully. We did manage to discuss his distress at having to work from his employer’s home in which her elderly parent lay dying. I subsequently learnt that two people had turned up at the venue at which the Death Cafe is ordinarily held. When it became apparent that I ...
This was our first in person Death Cafe following the COVID-19 lockdown. Given that people were still cautious about gathering in restaurants, there was a good attendance - about nine people. There was cultural diversity within the group and a Chinese person, and two South Americans spoke about their cultural experiences. One of the South Americans described how difficult it was being on the other side of the world when her mother’s health was declining. One participant worked at a funeral home as an embalmer and people found her insights into the workings of a funeral home fascinating.
Shortly prior to this Death Cafe, the local newspaper ran a brief story about the Death Cafe and a podcast I host about death and dying, The Final Curtain. I was concerned that the media profile would result in more than a dozen people attending and it would be unwieldy. So, I took a fellow Death Cafe host’s advice and capped the numbers on Meetup. I need not have done this. Only nine people came and there could have been more comfortably. Two people who have come numerous times before were placed on Meetups wait list. Luckily, I was able to contact one and tell her to ...
Tucson Online MST Friendly & Fearless Death Cafe Write up
Posted by TucsonFFDeathCafe on Sept. 17, 2020, 5:13 p.m.
“I always come away feeling more alive,” proclaimed a Death Café attendee. Kudos to the Café movement for opening space for the paradox of death and all the wild richness it brings to life!
Reflecting on the fact that her father was a Holocaust victim, one woman spoke of her wish for peace in her own death. As we know only too well with chaotic events, natural disasters, war, violence, pandemics, the possibility for peace in death may escape us. I wonder if spiritual traditions that “practice death” do so not only to affirm life and lessen fear while living, but also simply to have that experience of ...
Online Death Cafe Iowa CST Write up
Posted by DeathCafeIowa on Sept. 16, 2020, 10:45 a.m.
For our September Death Café Iowa we met on Zoom. Buffy Peters and Becca Suvalsky from the Bereavement Professionals Group facilitated the group. In total there were 7 people in attendance, 2 men and 5 women, and participants ranged in ages and professions. We had individuals join from California, Connecticut, Florida, and Iowa. Several interesting topics were brought forward for discussion.
A few topics included:
Elliot Dallen article from the Guardian: One member brought an article by a young man who was actively dying from terminal cancer. The author talked about how by not avoiding death he was not avoiding life. Another member mentioned that we need to ...
Hello everyone, Thank you to those who joined the conversations during the September 9th Death Café – Hillsborough (DC-H) Zoom call! Using Zoom has changed our dynamic yet it also allows new people from faraway places to participate; thank you to the three new folx! 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 Wednesday’s get together, here is their website: uniongroveumc.org and mailing address: United Methodist Church, Rev. Rich Greenway, 6407 Union Grove Church Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Thank you ...
Tucson Friendly & Fearless Death Cafe Write up
Posted by TucsonFFDeathCafe on Sept. 6, 2020, 5:08 p.m.
A man was at the hospital with his wife who was nearing her departure. The circumstances of being at a hospital undergoing interventions were distressing and unwanted. The couple had imagined a peaceful passing at home. A nurse asked the man where his family was, and he replied they were all at the hospital. The nurse then said, “Home is where your family is.” This story was shared at a recent Café.
All the more poignant now, as even this – in the era of Covid – is denied. We thank all the hospitals, staff, emergency workers and caregivers for doing all they can to unite loved ones, and in ...
Well, a few hours ago we just had our first Death Cafe experience, and it was awesome.
9 assistants plus me, it was a record compared with the 3 people I expected to assist (counting my own mother..). Everyone says thank you for this project to John and Donna. we hope to bring upfront your vision in every meeting and you will be very welcome every time to make sure we follow your wishes and expectations.
I can translate for you.
:)
I have to be honest tho.. there wasn´t any cake or coffee from me.. being online make it a little bit difficult but I made the ...
Greetings dead companions!
This is the poster of our first Dead Cafe (virtual one) from Mexico city, included people in Australia and Xalapa, Mexico.
Thank you for creating this awesome project!