I was a hospice worker. So, when somebody would come in to see me and would say, “Hey, I want to share something with you that happened when my father was dying. He was very close to the end of his life, and was coming in and out of consciousness, sleeping a great deal. A … Read more
Death can shatter a family. And when that family includes children, it can be even harder. It can be a challenge to know how to begin to help those young hearts heal. In Salt Lake City, Utah, the Sharing Place provides a safe space for kids and their families to come together, to know they are not … Read more
Johanna Lunn’s father, Jim, died when she was young. Years later, facing a crisis in her life, she wished for her father’s advice. So she decided to invite his memory to dinner. In her short animated film, Dinner With Dad, Johanna talks about this ritual of remembrance. She made an old favourite, the Lunn Family … Read more
Is it possible that our fear of death prevents us from living fully? For over 20 years Sue Brayne has been helping people to transform their relationship with mortality as a therapist specializing in trauma, as well as through her end-of-life research, workshops and books on spirituality, consciousness, and dying.
As we look and try to learn more about (and how to battle) racism in our society, we realize that racism and anti-black racism permeate all aspects of life. And of death. When we talk about the importance of “a good death” we must also acknowledge that this is a privilege denied to many people … Read more
StoryCorps—the organization that encourages us to “help create an archive of the wisdom of humanity”—now has an app available through Google Play and the App Store. Go to: https://storycorps.me/ One man recorded an interview he did with himself in hospital after being diagnosed and initially treated for an illness that could kill him: https://storycorps.me/interviews/excerpt-there-are-so-many-moments-i-wish-i… A young … Read more
A Will for the Woods, which charts the story of Clark Wang, who was dying of lymphoma and wanted to organize his own green burial. http://www.awillforthewoods.com/#home
“What is the single most prevalent fear for humans? Death. And what is the single most healing act available to humans? Love. In caring for the dead, we love. As an act of love, we are able to transform our overwhelming fear into something that fills us with awe.” http://www.crossings.net/index.html
A movement in support of home burials in North America has gradually gained momentum over the past decade. Here’s one film that got the ball rolling, A Family Undertaking (2004), available on Netflix: http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/A-Family-Undertaking-POV/70038982 Also available here (a link through crossings.net) http://www.fanlight.com/catalog/films/374_afu.php
A home-burial movement is getting started in Australia, too. This documentary profiles the work of those trying to reclaim the care of their dead from large funeral businesses who monopolize the industry across the country: Tender Funerals: A Community Undertaking
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