submitted by Sue Walker
Have you ever heard of a Death Cafe? Have you ever attended one? The premise is simple: people gather, drink tea, eat cake and discuss death, not to be morbid, but rather to raise awareness and to help people make the most of their lives. There is an emphasis on listening and sharing, and the focus is that life is finite and we want to talk about that. We all have interests and concerns about bereavement, loss, grief or dying. Let’s have that conversation.
The Death Cafe movement started in 2011 when Jon Underwood and Sue Barsky Reid held their first in London. Inspired by Swiss-born Bernard Crettaz, it was to open up discussion about death and death-related subjects. Death Cafes are now held all over the world.
It is important to note that Death Cafes are open to all, and are conducted in a respectful manner that prioritizes confidentiality. There is no set agenda, no objective or theme. It is not a grief support group nor a counseling session. There is no intention by the organizers to lead participants to any conclusions, buy any products or take any course of action. They are not religious, and are always ‘not for profit’ events.
Our goal at the Beth Donovan Hospice is to normalize discussions about death and dying so that we all feel a little more comfortable doing so while we are alive. We invite you to join us at the Hospice for a Death Cafe on Saturday June 10th from 10:30am – 12pm at the North Grenville Public Library.
To reserve your spot at the Death Cafe and for more information, please contact the Beth Donovan Hospice at 613-258-9611 x 6, or visit our website: www.bethdonovanhospice.ca
