Last Wednesday we held our first Life and Death Matters coffee morning and it was a blast.
Who’d have thought you could enjoy such a relaxed and, at times, amusing morning, when the subjects in question are those surrounding dying and death? Well I could! And that’s why I pushed to get this event off the ground
Its time we moved death out from its dark hiding place and faced it square on.
For all of us, death is a fact of life. Not discussing it; shying aware from conversations around it; leaving our understandings of the processes hidden away; these all result in us feeling more uncomfortable, more fearful and less prepared than we should be.
Talking openly with others; normalising discussion around it; sharing the worries and burdens that we all feel; all help us to be more prepared, less intimidated and, most importantly, less MISINFORMED!
Wednesday’s session was the first and the feedback was extremely positive. Attendees had enjoyed themselves. Had learned things. Had concerns alleviated and had gone away full of cake! Coffee and with new friends and contacts.
Co-hosts at the session included:
Lynne Parnall who is a counsellor and also works for the Bracken Trust (A local cancer support charity) as a Bereavement Facilitator.
Lynda Rogers, the Community Connector for our area working for PAVO (Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations)
Antoinette deKleijn, a qualified district nurse with 35 years experience and the owner of Allowing Time
Huge thanks also to Sarah Vale who owns and runs Hay Meadow Burial Ground both for taking the time to tell us more about your journey , and bringing along chocolate cupcakes!
If you would like me to host a Life and Death Matters talk near you, have a subject you would like covering, or a group you would like me to talk to, then please get it touch.
The next café will be help in September at Hay Meadow Burial Ground. Full details to follow…
… But I guarantee it will involve cake!!!!
