Tea and sympathy

One of the unwritten rules of society is that you don't talk religion or politics at the dinner table. But what about talking death at the local coffee shop?

That option is now available in Moncton at least on an occasional basis. The first “death cafe” was held in March with another planned for next month.

Cafe organizer Jules Jones describes the cafes as a place for openly discussing the often taboo subject of death in a safe, comfortable space. She makes use of a local cafe for her gatherings where people are encouraged to speak openly and freely about anything related to death. 

Jones describes herself as a life and death doula. She has been trained in helping people at both the beginning of life and the end of life.

As I write this column, I am marking the anniversary of my mother's passing. It has been a time of tears and chuckles as I remember being at her bedside with my brothers and our families. We shared our stories, both happy and sad, as we awaited that final moment we all knew would soon come. 

I'm sure the home care nurses attending to her would have been shocked at some of the stories, but we knew Mum would have enjoyed them and they were our way of dealing with her passing.

We had the benefit of being surrounded by family who felt comfortable in sharing our feelings openly with one another. Many people I know do not have that level of comfort and must look elsewhere for their support. Hopefully, this death cafe can help them find that needed comfort and support.

Truly taking the comforting powers of a friend and a steaming cup of tea to a new and powerful level.

Frank Likely is a retired Anglican minister and past president of the Springhill and Area Chamber of Commerce.