REMEMBER WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY DEATH AND ARE ALL GOING TO DIE SO WHY NOT LEARN TO TALK ABOUT IT IN AN OPEN AND RELAXED WAY… COME JOIN IN ONE OF MY DEATH CAFES…THEY ARE FREE… AND YOU CAN JOIN IN VIRTUALLY FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! AND NO TWO DEATH CAFES ARE THE SAME!

The impact of COVID-19 has allowed the virtual medium of Zoom and other platforms to connect us with others around the world! Amongst the tragedy that COVID has brought, we also are surrounded by innovation and a connection around the globe like we haven’t experienced before.

My face 2 face Death Cafes have successfully morphed into monthly Zoom catchups with like-minded, curious folk. Having held a Death Cafe by the Bay on 11 March 2021 we had a wonderfully energetic group of people from Australia, America and Europe attend for what one person described as an “informative, intriguing and catalysing” experience.

We shared our experiences about ‘being present’; about the ‘privilege of being in the space with someone who is dying (and sometimes the challenges); the importance of demystifying death and dying and normalising it; how we are curious about Death Cafes and also about things we don’t know i.e. what happens to us before and after death…the paranormal, near death experiences (the positive and less so); some tools we can use and things we can say to engage a person into having these important conversations; about choices, self-responsibility and taking some control and that Australian jokes are…well they are Australian jokes 😊 but a nice fun way to finish the night/morning

We shared lots of information on: Afterlife Discussions (FaceBook and YouTube); Netflix’s “Surviving Death” series; TED Talk “I see dead people: dreams and visions of the dying” Dr Christopher Kerr; a brilliant video by Dr Atul Gawande “Being Mortel”; the little resource “The Little Soul in the Sun“; Suzanne Giesemann’s “The Number One Question About the Afterlife and Reincarnation“; feedback from our American’s audience on COVID-19 and rejoicing when people’s health turns positive: Lisa’s “The Bottom Drawer Book” for advance care planning and funeral planning; how we can each engage and improve our communty’s death literacy; and great resources that help start conversations about dying and death using conversation cards e.g. “What Matters Most” (Dying to Talk) and “Your Life Talks“; body disposal options (Natural Death Advocacy Network), Recompose and Resomation.

If I’ve piqued your interest why not register for a Death Cafe or my monthly Death Cafe by the Bay.

*Note the above links and resources are based on conversations from the 11 March 2021 Death Cafe by the Bay group of attendees and not necessarily endorsed by Jacqui.