September 14, 2020

Forever – is composed of Nows – 

 - Emily Dickinson (poem 690)

Dear friends, 

How are you experiencing time during these pandemic days/weeks/months?

Time has been extra warped for me over the past six months. I've always fallen into the "time is an illusion" camp (I've spent a lot of "time" thinking about time since I was a teenager). Is time just a construct humans created to understand, organize, and measure our lives? Or is it real? You can Google what experts think and find some fascinating reading. 

For me, time and mortality and impermanence are always at an intersect. 

And then there's grief. Grief can deeply impact how we feel or understand time. There is so much communal and individual grief happening right now, for all sorts of reasons. If your sense of time has gone out the window...you are not alone! 

September Events

• Death Positive DC is having a BIPOC death cafe (for the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color community only) on 9/26 at 11 a.m. eastern time. It will be hosted by two local death doulas: Valoria Walker and Mina Devadas. Register here. 
• Halloween brings me a lot of Joy. Want a Halloween card from Death Positive DC this year? Fill out this form. There are a few spaces left.  

Other Events

• Take an hour and watch the documentary Speaking Grief for free, online. 
• The Before I Die NM Festival (happening online this year).  
• Find September/October events (organized by me & other people/organizations) in the announcement section of the Facebook group. Most events are still virtual. There are book clubs, cemetery events, craft fairs, death cafes, and more happening soon!
• Attend an Evermore meeting (a DC-based group that works to improve bereavement care in America). Register here. 
• I have written to you before about the the desecration of Macedonia Baptist Church’s Moses African Cemetery in Bethesda, MD. I encourage you to get involved in some way, if you haven't already. Here's how: 

Visit the website

Sign this petition to Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Executive 

Follow on Instagram (@bethesdaafricancemetery)

Follow on Twitter (@BethAfrCemetery)

Join the Facebook group

***

Exactly six months ago today, we held a birthday party for our two year old. We canceled with our friends (because of COVID) and only my mother and sister attended. That was the last time I saw my mom without a mask. This is all just to say it's been a long, long six months (time warp!) and I don't know how or when this will end.

I miss seeing people from this community in person and am grateful we have Zoom to bring us together online. I hope you are finding the support and nourishment you need during this time. Remember to make a plan to vote...I've already ordered my mail-in ballot. Take good care, and feel free to email me anytime.   

Warmly,

Sarah 

Sarah Farr

(she/her/hers)

Founder & Director, Death Positive DC 

www.DeathPositiveDC.com

Facebook & Instagram & Twitter

Promoting conversations about death and connecting people around this topic

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