DWDC: Session Descriptions

Afterlife / Afterlives

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.

Dying, Death, & Poetry

Reflecting upon dying and death can sound morbid, but really it can connect us with

what is truly meaningful in our lives, as well as with beauty in the world and

gratitude in our hearts. This session will use easy-to-understand poetry to help us find

our own way of understanding our mortality.

Facing Extinction: Processing Eco-Grief

Due to the climate crisis, we face not our own mortality, but questions about our

collective existence as a species and whether the planet is dying (at least as it is

inhabitable by humans). Using concepts from the “Work That Reconnects,”

developed by Joanna Macy, we’ll bravely explore this emotional terrain.

Getting Comfortable with Death Talk

Death has become hidden, making it harder for us to come to terms with the reality

of it. It hasn’t always been this way. The modern death-positive movement creates

ways for those who want the chance to talk openly about mortality. We’ll explore

how the Date with Death Club provides a chance to grow our comfort and

knowledge about this topic.

Good Life & Good Death

What do people mean when they say “a good death?” And how is that connected to

having “a good life?” Is it the same for everyone? Are there barriers to a good life?

What do these terms mean for you?

Grief: Loving & Losing, Learning & Living

With love comes loss. With living comes dying. This session explores how grief and

disenfranchised grief work and what it means in our own lives. While our focus is

grief, and there may be grieving people in the room, this is not a grief support group.

Hospice, Palliative Care, & End-of-Life Documents, Oh My!

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 / Death with Dignity

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.

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 supports for

reclaiming this aspect of our lives.

Planning Your Own Memorial Service

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.

Resistance & Acceptance: The Mortal Dance

Our attitudes toward our own mortality are a dance between resistance (do not go

gentle into that good night) and acceptance (no one gets out of here alive). This

session will use music and reflection to explore death anxiety and the new science

around the use of psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”) to help ease the fear of death in

those with terminal diagnoses.

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 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.

Writing Your Own Obituary

Just like planning your own memorial service, you can spend time now putting

together your obituary. We’ll explore both traditional obituaries (the kind you are

likely to find in the local newspaper) and more story-based obituaries that can help us

connect with our own deeper purpose in whatever time we have left on this earth.

We’ll use a specially developed worksheet to guide us that you can take home.