February 22, 2021

Dear friends, 

Are you finding that some people (like myself) want/need additional love and support right now? That friends--and even strangers--might welcome some extra "warm fuzzies" to brighten their days? 

When I offered to send Death Positive DC Valentine's Day cards this year, I had no idea that the sign up sheet would be full before the end of the day. To my surprise, the Valentine's Day card sheet filled way faster than the Halloween card one.

Why? Maybe it was the post-holiday blues, the winter weather, or being almost one year into the pandemic...or the promise of a piece of chocolate. Whatever the reason, a lot of people signed up for some Valentine's Day love. I truly enjoyed putting together and sending these little packages, which included a card, bookmark, piece of candy, and a Mary Oliver poem (it's posted at the end of this newsletter). It was a fun way for me to connect with others and offer something affirming and supportive. 

I didn't send a January newsletter, so I want to share all the latest news, updates, and events with you now. 

UPDATES 

• Have you completed a living will? I'm sending copies of the Five Wishes (paper or digital) to anyone who wants one. Email sarah@deathpositivedc.com and let me know if you prefer paper or digital. Include the mailing address or email address you want me to use. 
• Local death doula Valoria Walker of Doula by Destiny has some new things in store in 2021. Learn more here. 
• Alishia Parkhill (local death doula) has a new business, Upholdu, that supports women with serious illness. Check out her website to see what services she offers. 
• At the end of 2020, Rep. Jamie Raskin's son, Tommy Raskin, died by suicide. This opened conversations about death by suicide. I want to make sure you have the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number, which is 800-273-8255. We can also help reduce the stigma around suicide by paying attention to the language we use. Learn more here. 
• Diane Rehm's book, When My Time Comes: Conversations About Whether Those Who Are Dying Should Have the Right to Determine When Life Should End, is out in paperback. Find out what this DC radio legend has to say about death with dignity. 
• I recently read and loved the memoir The Beauty in Breaking by emergency room physician Dr. Michele Harper, who grew up in Washington, DC. I highly recommend it! 

IN THE MEDIA

I post a lot of news articles in the Death Positive DC Facebook group because it's so easy and fast to update. Here is some recent news, if you haven't seen it yet: 

• DC might offer city employees up to two weeks paid leave when a pregnancy ends or a family member dies. The Washington Post covers it here.   
• A Slate article on green burials--including a green cemetery under consideration in Silver Spring, MD (about 25 minutes outside of DC). 
• A Quiet Georgetown Street Could Be Covering A Forgotten African American Burial Site. Local journalist Elliot C. Williams writes about it here. 
• Scientific American article, Society's End-of-Life Problem, on how racism and inequities in society impact who has the privilege to plan for the end of life and why it matters. 

EVENTS

There are no Death Positive DC events scheduled for February.

Please check out what other (mostly) local people are offering! 

• Reflections on Grief and Child Loss at Lincoln's Cottage in DC. Open now and ongoing for two years. Check the website for details about visiting in person. 
• March 2: Can We Thwart Aging and Death? via Profs and Pints. Register here. 
• March 4: Take Control of Your End of Life Decisions via Frederick Health Hospice. Register here. 
• March 9: Congressional Cemetery Tombs & Tomes Book Club meets to discuss The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World. Email skirspel@congressionalcemetery.org for details or to be added to the book club list. 
• March 12: Green Burial Options with Niel Rosen via Around Town DC. Register here. 
• March 16: Give Your Voice Life After Death: An Ethical Will Writing Workshop via The Smith Center in DC. Register here. 
• March 25: Toxic Positivity: The Good, Bad and the Made Pretty with Nora McInerny. Register here. 
• Save the date! Life & Death Event, June 4-6 (will likely be a combo of virtual and in-person events, stay tuned for details). 
• Watch the documentary Speaking Grief online. 
• What's on your mind about death and dying? Find a Death Cafe and join a (virtual) group conversation about death. 
• Find February & March events (organized by me & other local people/organizations) in the announcement section of the Facebook group. Most death cafes and other events are still virtual. 

To end, I leave you with this beautiful poem by Mary Oliver. Enjoy. 

Wild Geese

by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

         love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

Take good care, and free to email me anytime if you have questions. 

Warmly,

Sarah 

Sarah Farr

(she/her/hers)

Founder & Director, Death Positive DC 

www.DeathPositiveDC.com

Facebook & Instagram & Twitter

DC's Hypothermia Hotline is 202-399-7093 (or dial 311 to help someone

off the streets & out of the cold). In emergencies, call 911.

The U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is 800-273-8255.

Promoting conversations about death and connecting people around this topic

through social media and in-person/virtual events in the DC-area since 2017.