If even doctors can’t talk about death, it’s hardly surprising that the rest of us ignore it too.
Archives
Bring Up The Bodies
Our ‘end of life choices’ are pretty limited. Most of us will be cremated; some will be buried, but every year a select few choose to be buried at sea.
The Silent Teachers
Fiona had no funeral. Instead she donated her body to train a new generation of doctors.
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, soil to soil
It’s time to rewrite the Book of Common Prayer.
Dust to Dust
Most of us will be cremated when we die, so the business of reducing a body to ash has become an industrial one.
It’s Your Funeral…
Wullie’s story was a time capsule from an era that’s almost gone from our memories.
Grayson Perry – Rites of Passage
I’ve long been a fan of Grayson Perry. Not just of his work as a potter which is as subversive as it is beautiful, but also of his clear-eyed attempts to understand and explain the human condition. He’s a gifted communicator, whose easy directness allows him to connect with people from all cultures and walks of life, and … Continue Reading
Kay and her Amazing Animatronic Cat
I conducted the funeral of a friend’s mother last week. Kay was what we Scots call a ‘douce’ lady. She was retiring by nature, very sweet and kind, although she had a bit of a wild side too: she loved dancing to blues music and the Rolling Stones! She spent her last couple of years … Continue Reading
The Ideal Death Show
It sounds like a lot of fun! Read the full piece here: it’s very well written, by Hayley Campbell of Buzzfeed
What really matters at the end of life?
Great talk from American Physician BJ Miller who’s a palliative care physician at Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco. You’ll need a spare twenty minutes, but it’s lovely.