Death Cafe: Albany (NY), taking place on Tuesday, January 23 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Pine Hills branch of the Albany Public Library, 517 Western Avenue, is based on the Death Cafe tradition started by Jon Underwood in England in 2011. It will be facilitated by Melissa White, a hospice volunteer and an experienced educator and researcher.
There’s no need for any particular background, just having a interest in talking about death. No agenda or specific therapy, but most people find it helpful to be able to speak about a range of death-related things that many around us find upsetting or otherwise taboo.
Strangers meet in a safe place to eat baked goods, drink hot beverages, and talk freely about the taboo that we all experience. Read more about it here.
As my friend Amy, who’s been a hospice worker for 10 years, wrote: “Don’t let the title scare you. I see the value and importance of being able to talk about, plan, and discuss your thoughts about the final chapter of your life. Just like birth, it is a natural process, and while it comes with sadness, it can be a peaceful, beautiful and reverent time.”