I begin conversations with strangers about it, ask friends if they think about it, make it the topic of dinner conversations, even play games about it. Why? To ease our fear, to encourage a shift from death-less to life-filled, to normalize it as part of our lives.
If this is a topic you’d like to hear more about and you have a group who you’d like to share this experience with or who you believe would be interested in & benefit from having a conversation about what a death doula does, or what an end-of-life coach encourages people to do… I would love to help with that.
This could be your book club, foodie group or dog park crew. Perhaps your HR dept at work or your volunteer coordinator would be interested in learning more. Do you meet regularly to play cards, pickleball, fantasy football; or gather with friends over a wine and great conversation? All of these are examples of your groups, your people, your community, where those involved may not have contemplated or planned for death, and where sharing thoughts about it with a group of their trusted friends, neighbors or colleagues is something that would increase comfort and ease.
The format is yours to determine, or we can plan it together. If a PowerPoint presentation with Q&A speaks to your group, we can do that. Perhaps a short movie, TED talk or video would ease your group into the conversation, I have you covered. If death talk goes down easier with food, bevs and games, consider it done. My intention is to provide a brave space for you and your group to explore this topic with curiosity and honesty without the angst and expectations that is often present when the topic of death is mentioned in “normal” conversation.
We avoid thinking about death and dying, so talking about it is an even harder pass for most. I am in this work to ease some of that unease by sharing information about death, and the work I do in support of death and dying, in a way that encourages curiosity, diminishes fear and normalizes conversations about death in our homes and within our communities.
