April 16, 2019
Hello friend,
Happy National Healthcare Decisions Day! Is there a small (or big) step you can take today to think about your end-of-life wishes and make those wishes clear to your loved ones? If you aren't sure where to begin, try this conversation starter.
I recently recorded an episode of The Death Diaries, a new podcast hosted by Paul King of Virginia. Listen here and make sure to check out the other episodes, too!
Want to read about Death Positive DC's tour of Oak Hill Cemetery, book club, and the green burial event at Congressional Cemetery? Scroll to the bottom of this email to read more.
Connect Online
Connect In-Person
- May 29th: I'm offering another "Write Your Own Obit" workshop at Rhizome. Read more about it here, and please pre-register and pay through Rhizome. The cost is $10. You can also read about my last workshop.
- April 23rd: Join the Stitch 'n Bitch (a social gathering where people talk and knit or do other needlework). Our topic is "Remembering the Dead." Register here.
- April 25th: I'm hosting a death cafe at Petworth Library.
- May 6th: I'm hosting a death cafe at Rhizome.
- May 7th: Book Club! We will discuss The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully by Frank Ostaseski. Details and registration here.
Other Events
- The National Geographic Museum has an excellent exhibit called Queens of Egypt, featuring a section on the afterlife and mummies.
- The Terrible, Thanks for Asking podcast will be recording live from Sixth & I in May. Tickets available here.
- Interested in learning how to become a death doula? INELDA has a workshop in early May in Rockville, MD.
On Sunday, April 14th, we had a guided tour of historic Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown. We saw the inside of the Renwick Chapel, built by architect James Renwick, Jr. (who also designed St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC and the Smithsonian "Castle" in DC). This Gothic Revival style chapel, with its beautiful ceiling and gorgeous windows, is on the National Register of Historic places (as is the Van Ness Mausoleum at Oak Hill).
The body of President Abraham Lincoln's son, Willie, was kept in the Carroll Family Mausoleum at Oak Hill, where Lincoln would frequently visit him. Willie's body stayed at Oak hill from 1862 until 1865, when both Willie and President Lincoln were buried in Springfield, Illinois.
The book club met on March 26th to discuss Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. Even though this popular book was published back in 2003, it is still very relevant and gave us much to talk about!
On April 1st, Congressional Cemetery hosted an educational event about green burial. Gail Rubin, author of A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, was the guest speaker and gave a presentation on various green burial options. Congressional Cemetery is the only cemetery in DC that allows green burials.
As always, you can check the Death Positive DC events page for the most up-to-date details on upcoming activities.
I hope to connect with you online or in person soon!
Warmly,
Sarah
Founder of Death Positive DC
Death Positive DC promotes conversations about death and helps people connect
around this topic through social media and in-person events.
