I spent most of my life not realizing that I was death ignorant, likely in death denial, and desperately in need of death education. By sharing my personal experiences hosting Death Cafés, volunteering with Final Exit Network, and compiling a voluminous bibliography of resources on death and dying, I hope attendees will be inspired to become more comfortable discussing this stigmatized topic. I have learned that the more conversations and the more planning, the greater solace one can achieve and the deeper appreciation of life’s preciousness, as well as leaving a generous gift to our grateful, grieving loved ones. Magical thinking suggests that If we ignore death, it might go away. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to work that way.
Jim Van Buskirk has co-hosted Death Cafes for many years, and as a regional coordinator with Final Exit Network counsels callers on end-of-life options, plus reviewing relevant books and films for FEN’s quarterly newsmagazine
