Death Cafe write-ups
Death Cafe Whangarei no#7 Write up
Posted by Jo Moselen on March 10, 2019, 11:39 p.m.
Our meeting in March was our 7th death cafe meeting. There were 14 of us in total, 9 first time attendees.
Our conversation started with introductions and sharing about what brought us to this meeting. From the new people it was about having an interest to attend and to experience and find out what happens at a death cafe.
Others who have attended before talked about how our conversations always left them feeling enlivened.
We discussed the experience of being completely undone and put back together in a new way, being completley changed on a cellular level by the deaths of close loved ones. Interest was shown in ...
Lets talk about Death?, eat cake and drink tea!? Would you like to join us at Creative Coffee Hub to talk to each other about death in a warm and relaxed setting?, the idea may sound daunting, but perhaps it will be fun, interesting and maybe inspiring. Death is a subject often avoided but inevitably will affect us all.
Death Cafe discussions are non-directed and non-judgemental, and we hope you’ll join us. Please note we are not a bereavement support or therapy group, just a few people interested in talking about an unusual topic and eating cake.
There is a limit of 20 individuals please reserve your ...
While not fully knowing what to expect, the folks who sat around the tables in the gorgeous setting at StoneRidge Retirement Living found their conversations to be revealing and comfortable.
18 people were glad they came and participated while enjoying cake, cookies, coffee and tea. One wondered when the next Death Cafe would be.
We'll be working on planning that.
Death Cafe in Moscow office Write up
Posted by DambisMaria on March 6, 2019, 6:05 a.m.
There were 8 participants at the table. The group was very active and within 2.5 hours each participant spoke several times on different topics related to death. The story of this meeting can be read here https://www.b17.ru/blog/deathcafe/
Death Cafe SF Valley Write up
Posted by MerrilyWeiss on March 4, 2019, 4:39 p.m.
We had 13 interesting people come together to discuss death and end of life. The variety of perspectives and life experiences enriched the conversation. Evaluations were all very positive. Based on this experience, we will try to meet monthly or bimonthly.
Death Cafe Edmonton Write up
Posted by Gina Vliet on Feb. 28, 2019, 12:31 p.m. 1 comment
Another bitterly cold evening, but we prevailed! As all drooled over the food and cakes people were noshing, we began with our perceptions on final methods: how people feel about body disposition. We covered composting of remains, green burials, two kinds of cremation, embalming, and other corpse-related perceptions. This led to some laughs about spreading ashes, of course, because what cremation discussion is complete without someone getting grandma’s ashes in their eye/hair/mouth?
We tackled fears around declining health in old age and if we’d want to die before or after our loved ones. Urban isolation, aging in place, and choosing the right assisted living ...
Death Cafe Edmonton Write up
Posted by Gina Vliet on Feb. 28, 2019, 11:58 a.m.
New Year, new venue for us this Winter Wednesday night, January 30, 2019, and a conversation circle made up of local Edmontonians as well as people travelling in from St. Albert, Leduc, and Stony Plain. The meetup’s conversation was lively and at times emotional, as we discussed for starters, did we want to die alone or surrounded by people. We talked about the sacredness of witnessing a loved one’s death, and how some would prefer for themselves that this last rite of passage be by invitation only.
This led to conversation about Near Death Experiences (NDE’s) from both the scientific and personal experience perspectives. Then ...
Monmouth County Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Beth Almerini on Feb. 27, 2019, 12:02 p.m.
We had a full house with several new members and truly different topics. We discussed some of the issues around violent and unexpected deaths, such as war; member's experiences with other Death Cafe meetings, the benefits (as always) of having advanced directives, fear of death, and how being aware of the finite nature of life helps improve the lives we are living. This was a much more serious meeting than some of our previous ones, but there were still a lot of laughs and lively differences of opinion.
Please join us next month.
Death Cafe Iowa Write up
Posted by DeathCafeIowa on Feb. 25, 2019, 2:04 p.m.
February’s death café Iowa was held at Plymouth place on Ingersoll. Buffy Peters and Becca Suvalsky (members of the Young Bereavement Professionals Group) facilitated the group. We had 7 women in attendance. All participants ranged in ages and professions.
This month’s death café was a little smaller due to impending weather. However, the members that did attend brought several interesting topics to discuss. Topics included discussions about death with dignity and the book “Final Exit” by Derek Humphry. The group also discussed death of a pet, feelings when a loved one dies, and how group members wish to feel when they die. Several group members shared ...
Death Cafe Iowa Write up
Posted by DeathCafeIowa on Feb. 25, 2019, 1:25 p.m.
For January’s Death Café Iowa we met at a new location this month. The group met at Plymouth Place on Ingersoll. Buffy Peters and Becca Suvalsky (members of the Young Bereavement Professionals Group) facilitated the group. We had11 people in attendance, 4 men and 7 women, and participants ranged in ages and professions.
We had several new group members in attendance. Introductions focused on what brought the new and returning group members to death café. The overall consensus was curiosity. Several topics were brought forward for discussion during this month’s death café. Topics such as celebration of life services, death with dignity act, the Swedish death ...
Four of us gathered for the first meeting of the Colliers Wood Death Café of 2019.
We began acknowledging the inescapable reality of old age, sickness and death as we asked ourselves where we are today with death.
One attendee posed the question that, if life is Mexican Wave, which we stand up and form part of just temporarily, what are we doing whilst we stand up? We reflected on our own experience of lives being cut tragically short, and the remarkable preciousness of each life. To not acknowledge death is to not fully appreciate life.
Our conversation made references to Derren Brown, and to Billy Connolly who ...
Our Wed 02.20.19 discussion included seven of us and the main topic that emerged was the definition of “suicide.” Some folks maintained that this the concept is used to cover too many unalike cases that call for greater distinction. The relations between sacrifice and suicide were considered. Significant disagreement occurred over the morality of suicide. Context to consider is that Oregon is one of eight U.S. states, and the first, to legalize physician-assisted death.
One of our interloculars noted that opioid related deaths are greater than automotive related deaths. There was general skepticism around the table ragarding that claim. It turns out that she may ...
Calgary Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Alberta Hospice Palliative Care Association on Feb. 20, 2019, 2:18 p.m.
On an extremely cold Saturday afternoon in early February, a group of people came together for AHPCA’s first-ever Death Cafe. This is the story of how we got there and what happened.
In late summer 2018, Laura Walsh approached AHPCA, wondering if we would like to join forces to host a Death Cafe. Laura, a registered psychologist, became interested in the rituals surrounding death while she lived in Asia. She found people dealt with subject of death much more openly than western cultures and upon relocating to Calgary, she was surprised at the reluctance to talk about it. After she listened to a BBC podcast regarding Death ...
Death Cafe - Warren Write up
Posted by gloriamcunningham on Feb. 20, 2019, 11:49 a.m.
We are sorry to see Stephanie leave our hosting team for Death Cafe- Warren. Though we are happy for her as her life is filled with her work in Hospice and a new marraige.
We are pleased to announce that we have a new member of our host team. Welcome Joe Knight! Joe is a Board Member for the National End-of-Life Doula Association, a Certified Medical Hypnotherapist and an End of Life Doula. We are looking forward to gain from your expertise and wonderful energy.