Death Cafe write-ups
Swanage Death Cafe Write up
Posted by peterneall on April 15, 2024, 2:05 a.m.
Seven guests, a host and a facilitator met on the afternoon of Friday April 12th 2024 at The Hub in Swanage.
The facilitator introduced the event with a short history of Death Cafe's and an agreement on Ground-rules.
THen the discusion included all the guests and topics ranging from fear r of death, terror in the face of it, the joy of being fully present at the death of a loved one nd so on. One guest commented on the joy of simply being able to speak of death without being told to stop.
At the end there was a cllear demand to 'go again' with one ...
Herne Hill Death Cafe Write up
Posted by annkenrick on April 9, 2024, 3:46 a.m.
This is the fourth Death Café being held by local resident Ann.
The objective of the Death Café movement is ‘to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives’. In Britain Jon Underwood was the first to invite people to his home in Hackney in 2010.
In continental Europe there has long been a tradition to talk about important and interesting subjects in a café philo or a philosophical café. Bernard Crettaz, a Swiss sociologist, set up a café mortel, or Death Café, on which Jon based his concept. Jon died recently, aged 44 but death cafes are now ...
April 2024 Shepherdstown WV Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Tracy Seffers on April 3, 2024, 10:52 a.m.
Water was brought to a boil, the tea and cake set out as usual, and several of us gathered around the table.
Tracy opened with a brief selection from Joan Halifax of Upaya Center, talking about two paths we choose as we face questions about death - the path of fear, or a path that accepts and explores with curiousity the impermanence of all things. The choice of path then impacts the life we lead.
Discussion continued: knowing that "the mug is already broken", how do we face death, how do we live our lives? With tenderness, softness, a delicate touch, hope . . . it was a rich conversation.
Introductions around ...
Our first Death Café of the year took place in our regular space, the Creative Library, a fabulous community room in our local Manly Library. After a holiday break of some months, it was wonderful to once again engage in spirited conversation about all things death and dying, welcome back regulars, and meet folk new to the Death Café movement.
I’ve been facilitating Death Café’s since 2014, and have found that while the conversation will cover a diverse range of death and dying areas of interest and importance, there is always one topic which is discussed in every Death Café I have run; the afterlife. And ...
9 people met to discuss death and dying and to drink coffee and eat cake.
There was positive feedback and people enjoyed the event.
Death Cafe Santa Clara Write up
Posted by FrankAnnis on March 20, 2024, 10:54 a.m.
This was our first DeasthCafe and it had 3 hosts and 15 attendees. it was held at a very nice retirement community and thus was not for the general public. The feedback on the evaluation forms was very positive and we will host a second one there in 2 weeks. Then we will be looking to hold cafes in our local community in Los Altos, California!
Frank Annis
Death Cafe North Canterbury, Amberley Write up
Posted by Death Cafe North Canterbury, Aotearoa New Zealand on March 19, 2024, 3:24 a.m.
Amberley
It was a lovely ambient afternoon in North Canterbury and Amberley's first DC of the year. Including Mark and myself we had 5 people, 3 men and 2 women.
The vibe was energectic and the conversation deep - about grief and loss, death and dying as concepts, theroretical and anecdotal, observed and experienced. It was a heady afternoon and very stimulating, different in a way from other DCs.
Pretty awesome!
Look forward to next time, Kaiapoi on April 21st.
Liz ;)
Downtown Ypsi Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Bree Crutchfield on March 16, 2024, 10:34 p.m.
Well, I had the first meeting and due to the weather (rainy and overcast), I didn't expect anyone to show up.
One brave soul did arrive by the name of Michelle. Michelle and I talked about death, preparing for death, facing our own mortalities etc.
Michelle shared with me the death of her parents (and others) and how it affected her.
In turn, I shared how deaths in my life affected me.
The meeting ended on a wonderful note and she's looking forward to next month's meeting-as am I.
-Bree
Death Cafe Iowa Write up
Posted by DeathCafeIowa on March 13, 2024, 11:01 a.m.
Our Death Café was held over Zoom this past February and had 3 people in attendance. After brief introductions and some catching up we began a long conversation on all thing’s death related!
We started with the importance of balancing grief alongside celebratory life events, and how tricky it is to go through such happy moments while grieving. From here we transitioned into speaking on how grief is felt/expressed differently by everyone and is not something that can be fixed. Everyone has different needs, so simply showing up and listening to your grieving person is a great way to offer support.
The final broader topic we ...
Death Cafe Warkworth Write up
Posted by Death Cafe Warkworth on March 9, 2024, 10:58 p.m.
There were six of us today at our second Death Cafe in Warkworth. It was enlightening and informative. Everyone had space and privacy to share their stories, ask questions and respond with answers. Links, resources, and experiences were shared. Discussion included end of life care, options for families making arrangements for death care, options around the care of deceased loved ones, including burial and cremation, the necessity for medical and legal information required, and the importance of taking ownership of your own end of life and death care. Thank you to everyone who attended and shared of themselves.
Our Death Cafe this month covered a great span of topics, from the perspective of today's youth on death and suicide among young people, inequities in nursing care, funeral business and preparations, burial shrouds, mushroom suits and forensic studies programs, on to yes, you do need a bunch of death certificates when the time comes, and as always, the topic of who comes out of hte woodwork on someone's passing arose.
Look for a Death Cafe LPCC monthly at the minimum moving forward.
Schuylerville, NY Death Cafe at the Library Write up
Posted by bwrisley@sals.edu on March 6, 2024, 10:24 a.m.
We had seven of us including myself at our first Death Cafe at the Schuylerville Public Library, and I'd call it a success! The conversation flowed, folks seemed to be very open and excited for the conversation. The tea flowed, the sugary snacks did as well. I left the cafe feeling overwhelmingly grateful for the opportunity to connect and have a conversation about death and dying that felt productive. We laughed, some of us cried, and I am very much looking forward to meeting again!
Shepherdstown WV Death Cafe: Tea, Cake and Conversation Write up
Posted by Tracy Seffers on March 5, 2024, 2:50 p.m.
Spring is starting to spring up all around us, peeping green from the decay of last year's leaves - life rising up out of death, death giving birth to new life - the eternal cycle coming round again.
Tea and cake were set out for our guests, and as people gathered.
The first topic brought to the table for discussion (thank you, Christine!) was the idea of "delayed" or "displaced" grief. What is it - why is it? How does it look for different grievers and difference death circumstances? Is it cultural - individual - communal - self-protective?
Conversation then moved to thinking about which cultures (like the Tibetan Buddhists) "do death" well ...
Santa Cruz Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Carol Morgan on March 4, 2024, 10:47 a.m. 3 comments
Our third Death Cafe of 2024 included 20 guests. There were 17 at each of the previous cafes, clearly there is a need! Some were new and some had come before. Introductions were held in the large circle and then conversations continued in 4 smaller circles for 40 minutes. I received positive feedback about the group led discussions as apposed to a meeting with an agenda.
14 people attended. Topics discussed includes assisted dying, mixed heritage practices, availability of family support at the end of life, and the legacy we leave.
All feedback was positive and people enjoyed the event.
Again there was delicious cake.