Dec. 21, 2019
Dear friend,
Midwinter greetings to you! December has been an exciting and busy month for Death Positive DC. The Washington Post Magazine featured an article about my "Write Your Own Obituary" workshop in last weekend's In Memoriam Issue. The Post also published a video about death cafes, which we filmed in DC last year. Please read/watch when you can!
Today—December 21st—is the Winter Solstice, a celestial moment in time (at 11:19 p.m. eastern) that occurs when our planet's Northern Hemisphere is tilted farthest from the sun. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it's our darkest day. We will have the fewest hours of sunlight and the most hours of darkness. But/and out of this darkness comes life, regeneration (think of all the roots and bulbs waiting underground for the spring), and renewal. Wendell Berry puts it well in his poem To Know the Dark:
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
The Winter Solstice is the symbolic death and rebirth of the sun and has great significance in many, many different cultures (ancient and modern) throughout human history. It's a time to be with family & friends; to look inward and self-reflect; to let go of what no longer serves us; and to recreate ourselves.
I hope the magic of the Winter Solstice inspires you to carve out some time today and over the holidays to think about your own life..and, of course, your own death. Reflecting on our mortality is an effective and valuable way to get in touch with ourselves (our deepest, truest selves), strengthen connections with others, and live with more intention.
Upcoming Death Positive DC Events
Other Events In and Around DC
- Judy Chicago's exhibit, The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in DC. Closes on 1/20/20.
- The Temple at the Renwick ("a glowing sanctuary, offering visitors a quiet place to reflect and pay tribute to lost loved ones"). Closes on 1/5/20. Go see and experience it now!
- Diane Rehm will discuss her new book on medical aid-in-dying, When My Time Comes, with Kojo Nnamdi at Sixth & I on 2/3/20. Tickets here.
- Save the date! Life & Death Event in West VA, June 2020.
- Check the Death Cafe website for a death cafe near you (search events by zip code).
- Scroll through the announcements section of Death Positive DC's Facebook group for a running list of DC-area events (it's more comprehensive than what's in this newsletter). Events are organized month. If you know of any relevant events or activities, please post them! Always confirm events for yourself as I may not be aware of changes.
Enjoy this most dark, beautiful, and meaningful day. Have a wonderful holiday season, and if you are spending time with friends and family, consider talking to them about your end-of-life plans. If you aren't sure how to start, send me an email and I'll give you some ideas.
I wish you all the best for this coming New Year.
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.
Art by Lisa Graa Jensen
