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Comox Valley Hospice Society hosting Death Café

Ever since there have been humans, there have been questions about death.
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Ever since there have been humans, there have been questions about death.

The subject has brought with it a whole range of emotions, thoughts and beliefs. It’s a topic that has kept philosophers, clergy, doctors, and scientists in lively discussions for centuries. And why shouldn’t it? The experience of death is common to us all, yet not everyone feels at ease asking questions.

Death Café is a forum for open-hearted discussion of death. Come as you are; it is a safe space for expressing one’s views and listening to others in a non-judgmental way. Participants may find that discussing death helps them come to a greater understanding of their own ideas as well as the views of others. All that’s needed is a willingness to engage with the topic of death. Some actually find it’s easier to talk to someone they don’t know than with family or friends.

The original Death Café was an undertaking founded in 2011 by Jon Underwood who studied politics, philosophy and economics at the University of Oxford, and his mother, Sue Barsky Reid, a psychotherapist/counsellor, both of the UK. Since then, Death Café events have been hosted in 82 countries.

Each Death Café event follows a similar format: an agenda-free discussion, with the topics determined by attendees. This Death Café is sponsored by the Comox Valley Hospice Society. The hosts Rhianna and Richard are among the society’s trained volunteers.

The evening is open to all adults who are interested in the topic of death. The only prerequisite is that you have to be someone who will die someday.

Enjoying cake and tea or coffee is optional, and active listening in a non-judgmental way is encouraged.

The event will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 29 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Genoa Building at the Comox Marina. Donations to help cover the cost of the facility rental are welcomed. For more information, contact reception@comoxhopsice.com or call 250-339-5533.