May 15, 2019

Happy Birthday, Death Positive DC! 

Today marks two years since I founded Death Positive DC (May 15, 2017). What started as a small Facebook group has grown into an active online community as well as a vibrant and diverse community of people in the DC-area who regularly gather for death cafes, book clubs, workshops, and more. I'm thrilled with how this group has grown, and I am so grateful to each and every person who is part of Death Positive DC. I have had the opportunity to meet many of you either online or in person—how fortunate I am to connect with such kind, curious, warm-hearted, and open-minded people. Truly, I am so thankful for you all.   

Today is also special because it is the death date of Emily Dickinson. She died on this day 133 years ago (in 1886 in Amherst, MA). A few summers ago, I visited her home in Amherst as well as her grave, which is a short walk from her home. I've been reading her poetry since junior high, so this trip was a dream come true. Emily Dickinson wrote a lot about death and immortality. Many people know her famous poem Because I Could Not Stop For Death. If you visit the Death Positive DC homepage, you'll see a few lines from her poem That it will never come again:

That it will never come again
Is what makes life so sweet.

This poem is one of my favorites. Here it is, in its entirety...enjoy!  

That it will never come again 

by Emily Dickinson 

That it will never come again
Is what makes life so sweet.
Believing what we don't believe
Does not exhilarate.

That if it be, it be at best
An ablative estate —
This instigates an appetite
Precisely opposite.

If you want to participate in Death Positive DC, check out my upcoming events or participate online (Facebook and Instagram). You can also email me at sarah@deathpositivedc.com.  

Enjoy the rest of May, and perhaps I will see you at my obit workshop on May 29th!

Warmly,  

Sarah

Founder, Death Positive DC  

Death Positive DC promotes conversations about death and helps people connect

around this topic through social media and in-person events.