Let's talk about death over dinner An invitation and guide to life's most important conversation
Book - 2018
"Of the many critical conversations we will all have throughout our lifetime, few are as important as the ones discussing death--and not just the practical considerations, such as DNRs and wills, but what we fear, what we hope, and how we want to be remembered. Yet few of these conversations are actually happening. Inspired by his experience with his own father and countless stories from others who regret not having these conversations, Michael Hebb cofounded Death Over Dinner--an organization that encourages people to pull up a chair, break bread, and really talk about the one thing we all have in common. Death Over Dinner has been one of the most effective end-of-life awareness campaigns to date; in just three years, it has provided ...the framework and inspiration for more than a hundred thousand dinners focused on having these end-of-life conversations. As Arianna Huffington said, "We are such a fast-food culture, I love the idea of making the dinner last for hours. These are the conversations that will help us to evolve. Let's Talk About Death (over Dinner) offers keen practical advice on how to have these same conversations--not just at the dinner table, but anywhere. There's no one right way to talk about death, but Hebb shares time- and dinner- tested prompts to use as conversation starters, ranging from the spiritual to the practical, from analytical to downright funny and surprising. By transforming the most difficult conversations into an opportunity, they become celebratory and meaningful--ways that not only can change the way we die, but the way we live."--Amazon.
- Subjects
- Published
-
New York, NY :
Da Capo
2018.
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Edition
- First Edition
- Physical Description
- viii, 246 pages ; 22 cm
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical resources and index.
- ISBN
- 9780738235295
- Chapter 1. Offering Permission
- Chapter 2. Extending the Invitation
- The Prompts
- If you had only thirty days left to live, how would you spend them? Your last day? Your last hour?
- What foods do you remember a departed loved one cooking for you?
- If you were to design your own funeral or memorial, what would it look like?
- Is there an excess of medical intervention at the end of life?
- Do you have your will, advance-care directives, and power of attorney complete, and if not, why?
- What is the most significant end-of-life experience of which you've been a part?
- Why don't we talk about death?
- How do you talk to kids about death?
- Do you believe in an afterlife?
- Would you ever consider doctor-assisted suicide?
- What song would you want played at your funeral? Who would sing it?
- Are you an organ donor?
- What does a good death look like?
- What do you want done with your body?
- Are there certain deaths we should never speak of
- If you could extend your life, how many years would you add? Twenty, fifty, one hundred, forever?
- What do you want your legacy to be?
- How long should we grieve?
- What would you eat for your last meal?
- Is there a way you want to feel on your deathbed?
- What would you want people to say about you at your funeral?
- How do you end a conversation about death?
- Acknowledgments
- Recommendations for Further Reading
- Our Family of Resources
- Notes
- Index