Feedback from Death Cafe Nevada with Paula Schneider and Laurie Jain

By Paula Schneider

Nevada’s second death café, presented in Carson City on August 3, was an overwhelming success. Our first death café which was at the end of May attracted 7 participants, and this time there were 12. This was a perfect number for the small, but intimate and comfortable, space we shared in a historical home in the old part of Carson City. We provided reading lists of favorite books on death and dying, handouts of interesting and timely topics from various news sources, a notebook of favorite articles collected by one of the presenters, and a beautiful book of samples of shroud materials from a company in California that specializes in incredible silk and other natural material shrouds, along with instructions on how to clean and wrap a body in a shroud. We also provided samples of scented, green shrouding wash.

Participants were treated to homemade lemon bars and drinks, along with cheeses and vegetables.

Comments included, “Keep doing this! It was a great event. Thank you.” “Very awakening.” “Helps me to feel even more comfortable with death.” “Reassuring, helpful.” “The conversation was relaxed and open.” All but one evaluation rated us the highest number, 5, and that was rewarding.

We used the same format this time as we did in May, with introductions of participants and speakers, then “seeding” with questions for participants to consider and comment on, a break mid-way through, and a few more questions. We only worked our way through about 3 questions, as everyone who attended shared comments and stories. Two hours passed Oh So Quickly!

Paula and Laurie are presenting another death café – this time at Lake Tahoe – in November, and a request has come in for one to be hosted at Unity of Auburn in California. Paula and Laurie are so motivated and fulfilled by this work that they plan to continue offering death cafes as long as the public shows interest (we suspect it will go on for a long time)!