A destination we all have in common

Death and dying is a subject many people find difficult to talk about and for others it may be a ‘taboo’ subject.
Those who are superstitious won’t talk about death for fear it may bring back luck.  

Talking about death or your funeral and managing your affairs can often be described as “too morbid” or “sinister” and the conversation gets put off for another day. 

We all deal with death differently and is a very private thing for each individual.  I believe most of us would want to make it as painless as possible for those who have to take care of our affairs – but where do you start?  How do you start?  

Those who are left grieving

I don’t profess to be an expert in dying or death, however, as a celebrant, I recognise the difficulties families often face when they lose someone and my aim is to support them and help in any way I can.  It’s not only about conducting and writing the service, it’s all the ‘other stuff’….the intangible or immeasurable things that can take the weight off their shoulders….if only for a short while.

I understand that for those loved ones left behind , their world has stopped!  Time stands still and they now find themselves tasked with organising the funeral, dealing with all aspects of the deceased’s life that once was.  It can be extremely stressful and normally falls upon the shoulders of one or two family members.  They have to act quickly and make all sorts of decisions before the funeral AND for months afterwards.  During this time….they are hurting and grieving.  It can take years to reach a stage when they are able to cope with their own lives or to function as they once did before their loss. 

Death in the workplace

Someone you work with has had a death in the family, what do you say? How can you support them? Does your workplace have a program in place or training on how to manage the different scenarios.  Be it death of an employee or an employee who is grieving –  it’s important that some form of support network is in place. 

The Groundswell Project’s support and educational
workshops bring the conversation about loss and grief into the
light. And with the Compassion@Work Program, they support
workplaces to utilise existing networks to provide support for
people suffering great loss.

Whether it’s planning ahead for your own death or talking with your family about it and helping each other to be able to talk about it…either way, it’s important to start somewhere.

Dying to know Day

Dying to know day came about because of the reasons above (and many more). It was recognised that there was the need to have more support within our communities when dealing with death. 

Annually on the 8th August  charities, support groups and the funeral industry try to raise awareness and encourage people to talk about death or dying through events and by supplying sources of information.  Due to Covid19, none or very few events have taken place, however there are so many resources and online information available.  You can start with visiting the The Groundswell Project website and go from there.