Death Cafe write-ups
Tucson Death Cafe Write up
Posted by tucsondeathcafe on May 15, 2015, 4:28 p.m.
We gathered for the winter Tucson death cafe on Thursday afternoon, Feb 26, at the Benedictine Monastery on Country Club Rd. http://www.tucsonmonastery.com
It's spacious community space generously accommodated the 36 or so participants. Death cafe facilitators, Kristine and Cindy, also generously welcomed everyone with a large array of snacks, featuring a lot of chocolate. Good stuff for talking about death! After the munching started, we gathered in a circle to review ground rules and make brief introductions, during which anyone with a particular interest for discussion had the opportunity to put it out there to the group. Then we disbanded, to gather and talk ...
Highcliffe Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Lis Horwich on May 11, 2015, 4:23 p.m.
Highcliffe Death Café had an interesting evening. We could welcome 3 new members, one who came from The Purbecks and 2 from the New Forest. As many of us had rather different views on what might happen after death, we all had to agree there is so much more to learn; experience and understand as no one has the right to claim they know the answer. We welcomed the idea of doing research by reading books, looking online and on Youtube etc. One member is writing a Masters on Death and Dying, so she had many questions to ask. It is wonderful to know many Universities are offering ...
Death Cafe Warkworth Write up
Posted by Death Cafe Warkworth on May 9, 2015, 10:40 p.m.
This was the first Death Cafe to be held north of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, in the rural community of Warkworth. Eight people met in the gallery space at Charlies Gelato Garden, around a coffee table sat on lovely comfy couches. I was incredibly blessed to have a delicious carrot cake donated by The Handy Food company, who are great supporters of hospice initiatives. And of course there was coffee and locally made icecream. So all this provided the perfect setting for a relaxed and reasonably intimate conversation about death. We agreed for confidentiality of the group that we could share stories with our friends and families later ...
Las Cruces Symposium Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Gail Rubin, CT on May 6, 2015, 7:03 p.m. 1 comment
On Friday, May 1, 436 people registered to attend “A Beautiful Death… What Will You Choose?” The Dean’s Health Symposium was held by New Mexico State University’s College of Health and Social Services.
At lunch, Gail Rubin, CT, facilitated the largest Death Cafe held in the world to date. At least 400 people participated.
Dr. Donna Wagner, the interim Dean of NMSU’s College of Health and Social Services, was very pleased with the turn-out and responses to the speakers and the topic of the day – directly confronting the fear and stigma surrounding end-of-life discussions for young and old.
Some of the comments from the evaluation ...
Death Cafe in Fairfax, California Write up
Posted by johnbyrnebarry on May 6, 2015, 1:29 p.m. 1 comment
Saturday, I talked with a group of strangers about death — it was the most intimate and meaningful conversation of my week.
This was my first Death Cafe, and the first one for most of the 50 to 60 people gathered at the Sukhasiddhi Foundation, a Buddhist meditation center in Fairfax, California.
In small groups, mostly four people sitting around café tables with coffee and pastries, we discussed hypothetical questions —
- If you knew you had twelve months to live, what would you do?
- If someone you were close to died and you could somehow speak to on from the other side, what would you ask them?
- How would you ...
Death Cafe, Winchester, VA Write up
Posted by Mary Jane Lee on May 4, 2015, 9:40 a.m.
It was another beautiful day in the Shenandoah Valley where nine people gathered at Steamy's Cafe to talk about life and death.
One participant reported on the Art of Dying conference held in NYC recently where more than a dozen fine minds gathered to talk about the art of dying.
Robert Thurman spoke of "the clear light of the void", he asks that we be conscious of our unconscious and that everything we do matters. Eben Alexander told us about his near death experience, and others spoke to the future of end of life care. The dialogue on living, dying, and death is rich, deep, and very ...
This was a wonderful conversation about many topics with "religion" being a recurring theme.
It was the first Death Cafe in Fukuoka, Japan.
There were five of us including me (as a facilitator).
The participants have variety of backgrounds; Anthropologist, laboratory medical technologist, graduate school student, professor and Acupuncturist.
At first, I talked why I hold Death Cafe. Then we discussed how much money we need, when someone died; A cost for a death certificate and cremation etc. We also talked about what are important things before you die. For example, where we wants to die, what we want to eat before our death, physical conditions, medical care, alternative care, how to spend the rest of life, with whom, and QOL. Also ...
Blue Ridge Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Blue Ridge Death Cafe on April 27, 2015, 7:59 p.m.
It was an unusually chilly day for April. Thirteen people met at the Old City Cemetery for the second meeting of the Blue Ridge Death Cafe. With coffee and cake people gathered at the tables to begin a robust conversation. Topics included letting go, talking with adult children about end-of-life care, experiences with death, and the importance of writing out wishes about care. The room was filled with the warmth of humor and conversation.
The Blue Ridge Death Cafe will meet again on June 14, 2015 from 2:00 - 3:30 PM at the Old City Cemetery. Please join the conversation.
Information about registration will be posted later ...
Providence Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Cassandra Tribe on April 27, 2015, 5:29 p.m.
The cupcakes match the new color of the room and we settled down to have a chat about all things death and dying. Gracing us as always our companion from death row with news of his 3 year reprieve, which led into a further discussion of learning to recognize our own reprieves that often happen in less dramatic ways. Much was said of the new found willingness of society to talk about death, and we discussed the peculiar grief that comes with fulfilling an advanced directive and the use of palliative sedation in the last moments. We then talked about the quality of the stars in the skies ...
Invito a partecipare al Death Cafe, conversazione aperta sulla morte e sul morire Write up
Posted by Elisabetta Lucchi on April 27, 2015, 3 p.m.
This was the 18th meeting of Verona Death cafe’!
There were four of us (including myself, Elisabetta) and this time we were all women. It was an intense evening with everyone thoroughly involved as usual.
What comes to mind when we think about death?
“I think about being in a coffin and the funeral service doesn’t console me. I think about the absence of the person, the person is not there anymore in the same form. And then the total absence of everything, I don’t know if there’s anything afterwards.”
“I think about cemeteries which are religious places with prayers and the rosary with the ...
A write-up for Marrickville Death Cafe - April.
Our Death Café this month took place on Anzac Day. It was the 100th year celebration, and the ensuing week of media coverage and related conversation was rivaled by that of the attendees at Death Café Marrickville!
Discussion included news of Australia’s first body farm, the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research, which is to be located on a 48-hectare bush site in the lower Blue Mountains, an upcoming public lecture, Naming the Dead, featuring forensic scientists reporting on recent research, and the coming to Australia of the irrepressible Caitlin Doughty, mortician extraordinaire who will be speaking at a ...
First Castlemaine Death Cafe Write up
Posted by DeathCafeCastlemaine on April 25, 2015, 11:43 p.m.
Sixteen attended. After opening remarks on the Death Café concept, we broke into two groups. The topics discussed included:
- Current and past personal experiences with the death and dying of relatives and friends,
- Society’s avoidance of and the “medicalisation” of death and dying (and birth!),
- A local initiative for holistic funerals and disposal of the remains,
- Reflections from one attendee who is a funeral celebrant,
- Hopes of “euphoric” and “aesthetic” deaths,
- “Conscious Ageing”,
- The concept of wakes before you die and leaving possessions,
- Humorous stories about life experiences,
- Reflections from one attendee who heads the regional palliative care services,
- End of life planning,
- Remembering and grieving.
We ...
Another Death Cafe under our belts! One of the attendees researched articles and brought them for discussion. We talked about Steve Jobs last words, Roger Ebert's glimpse of the afterlife, the boy who lived as an actor in the 30's and a local article about 3 prominent suicides. I love hearing others thoughts on these topics. There was a young man and woman that atended (early 20's) and it was so wonderful to hear their thoughts and views on death. I'm in my 60's and death was the last thing I was thinking about when I was that age!
The conversation was lively, animated, thoughtful, and engaging. One visitor traveled 2 hours to join in the conversation, and half of the group were first time attendees.
To the question, "What are three words to describe the Cafe experience?" attendees wrote...
Enlightening, thought provoking, a feeling of connectedness
Comfortable/warm, clarifying and open
Engaging, comfortable and insightful
A wonderful afternoon and a great experience!