Explore your mortality in community.

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Dying, Death, & Poetry will use poetry and written reflections to help you find your own way of understanding your mortality. We will discuss lessons learned about death, love, loss, and resilience.

Exploring Concepts of Afterlife

What happens after we die is a mystery. There’s lots of speculation and theory but no concrete evidence. In this non-dogmatic session, we’ll explore concepts of an afterlife (or not) through an interfaith panel representing different traditions and outlooks, then engage in personal reflection on what our beliefs are, where we got them from, and how they have held up over our lifetimes.

Aging: Better than the Alternative 

In this life, there’s no escaping aging or declining health. It is part of the mortal dance. In our youth-oriented society, one must be intentional to feel good about aging or about health challenges. We’ll use this session to explore what it means to come face to face with the two realities of aging and getting sick, lessening fear by facing it.

Owning Your Dying

Death as a general concept is one thing; our own death is a whole other thing. In this session, we’ll talk about possible ways to face our own death with intention, exploring the process of holding deathbed vigils, as well as home funerals. We’ll talk about the role of End-of-Life support people and other community support for reclaiming this aspect of our lives.

Palliative Care, Hospice, and Dying Wishes

More and more people are using hospice at the end of life and doing so sooner, which can be helpful to them and their loved ones. Yet, most people who want to die at home end up dying in a facility. In this session, we’ll hear from an expert on hospice and explore end-of-life documents like advance directives.

Medical Aid in Dying

What does death with dignity mean? We’ll explore the in’s and out’s of Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD), including its legal status in the United States and what it means. We’ll also review other legal, ethical ways to hasten death, being sure to explore concerns about ableism that are a part of this landscape.

What to Do with a Dead Body?

After a death, the body must be taken care of— “disposed.” Common means are burial and traditional cremation. But may you want to donate your body to science? Yet there are evolving technologies and new choices to be made. Perhaps you want a green burial? Or do you want your body to become compost? We’ll explore what’s out there and what choices you may want to make now to get what you want then.

Planning Your Final Goodbye: Funerals, Memorials & Celebration of Life Services

You can leave it for those who survive you. Or you can spend some time now planning your memorial service, leaving helpful information for your loved ones when the time comes. We’ll also use a specially developed worksheet that you can take home.

Sharing Circle: What Will Your Legacy Be?

Who’s brought meaning to your life? What do you want the meaning of your life to be? What do you want to leave as your legacy? In this closing session, participants will share photos, mementos, and stories about lost loved ones as well as give voice to how they wish their lives to be remembered after they are gone.