Reflecting On The Year Past

60 Boomers gathered in Marin to talk about death

As 2013 wraps up, I reflect on the changes that took place this past year to alter our national perspective on death. Since death is still a taboo topic, the truth is that we are only at the beginning of kick-starting this topic open for discussion. We have a long road ahead of us, but everything starts with baby steps, even SevenPonds. As we push this topic into the mainstream and make it the healthy part of life it should be, there has been a noticeable movement in organizations to get us talking. So yes—let’s get talking!

Last year, former Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Ellen Goodman launched the Conversation Project, a website dedicated to prompting people to talk with family members about their wishes when they die. The site offers a downloadable “Conversation Starter Kit” and the opportunity to submit your story on how you did (or did not) talk openly with your family about how you want to die.

A “Pondering the Last Taboo” Talk at SevenPonds headquarters

This year we have seen a greater push in this direction. I believe this is the true beginning of the tsunami about death, our last taboo, heading our way. Michael Hebb’s website “Let’s Have Dinner and Talk About Death” launched with a step-by-step tool that offers directions and ideas to begin such conversations at the dinner table. As a result, a series of end-of-life organizations collaborated to coordinate simultaneous Let’s Have Dinner and Talk About Death dinners across the US.

Additionally, a wave of “Death Cafes,” which began in Switzerland and spread across Europe, have swept across the US this past year. A Death Cafe can be conducted by anyone who would like to have one. It’s simply the act of gathering family and friends over coffee to talk about any subject having to do with death. And boy do those who attend love to discourse on the topic! In the Bay Area alone, Death Cafes have sprouted up in Sonoma, Mill Valley, San Francisco, Oakland and Santa Cruz. I attended one in Marin where 60 (mostly) Boomers had a fantastic time discussing a plethora of thoughts around death.

Here at SevenPonds, we had our own San Francisco Bay Area local events called “Pondering the Last Taboo”. Given the big push this past year, I see the tsunami on the horizon and I’m excited to see what 2014 will bring. How about you?

• Attend or put together your own Death Cafe.
• Check out The Conversation Project.
• Consider starting the conversation at your holiday dinner with the aid of Let’s Have Dinner and talk About Death.