Each year, Dying Matters promote an awareness week to help place important conversations about death and dying in the public agenda. This year, the awareness week runs from the 14th to 18th May, and I will be getting involved with it myself, a little.
The awareness week is an opportunity to bring the topic of death – something that affects each and every one of us – out into the open. Why is this important? Because often, the way we think or feel about death – whether it’s that we imagine we can’t talk about it, or that we live in fear of ourselves or someone else dying (or otherwise) – can impact upon how we live our lives.
While it might seem strange to focus on raising awareness of how we deal with death as a way to helping us to live our lives better, it does make sense. If we were able to view and accept death and dying as a natural part of the cycle of our lives, it would help us live for the present and potentially, help us cope with loss and grief better, too.
It could also be very valuable in helping our families after we die, since so many of them have no idea regarding what their loved ones actually wished for in terms of funeral plans, or they die without having made a Will. If we can be real and accepting about our own death, it can reduce so much stress for those we have to eventually leave behind.
Tameside are participating in Dying Matters Awareness Week with a small programme of workshops and events, and I shall be hosting a Death Café on May 16th, to tie in with the week. I shall also be attending the session at the 12-4pm Grafton Cente in Hyde, which is on May 18th.
See below for more details, including contact details for Fiona Horrocks who is running the Tameside week, and the programme for the week!
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