Rev. Candace McKibben
A few months ago, my friend Betty Morales contacted me to help brainstorm a six-week community series “Death and Dying” with Leon County Librarians Kristina Holt and Mary Douglas for the public.
As a new employee at Tallahassee Senior Center, Morales has a crash course in how many excellent offerings the senior center offers, often in partnership with other agencies in our community.
Aiming to be practical, educational, inspirational and more, these many thoughtful courses are designed and delivered with the needs of the community in mind. And there is no more universal issue that affects all of us than preparing well for death, the most common human event.
Morales has been involved in hospice work for 21 years and had a good understanding of issues and connections to many experienced compassionate people to address the issues.
Community classes, faith leaders
As such, Leon County Library, in partnership with the Tallahassee Senior Center, offers our community a remarkable lineup of people who serve us all.
“Celebrate Life, Understand Death” begins April 21 at 6 p.m. in person at Dr. BL Perry, Jr., 2817 South Adams St., or virtually via Zoom. The courses will take place on Thursday evenings until May 26th.
The series begins on April 21 with a panel discussion featuring five community faith leaders representing Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism, who will discuss belief rituals at the end of life.
This opportunity to learn from voices we trust including Guo Gu of the Chan Center, Rev. Jennifer Kopacz of Grace Lutheran, Mr. Harshad Desai, Founder of Hindu Temple, Imam Rashad Mujahid of Masjid Al-Nahl Mosque and Rabbi Michael Shields, of Temple Israel, will offer resources on faith-sensitive meaning-making that we can embrace or encourage at the end of life.
Understand the dying process
The second week of the series, on April 28, will help participants better understand the dying process and how hospice care can support both the family and the dying person.
dr Richard Zorn, who served as medical director at Big Bend Hospice after retiring from a distinguished surgical career in Tallahassee, and Cristal Baer, home health and hospice care navigator at Covenant Home Health and Hospice Care, will lead this helpful session.
In week three, on May 5, Paul Malley of Aging with Dignity and Kandace Rudd, Attorney for Elder Care, of Waldoch and McConnaughhay, Pennsylvania, discuss the importance of preparing for the time of death, with thoughtful conversations about health desires and the legal documents that are helpful.
Participants will be provided with free Five Wishes documents.
Those Left Behind, Funeral Planning
The well-being of the bereaved is close to the heart of almost every deceased. In the fourth week of the series, on May 12, Melanie Pelc, President of the Living Room, and Children’s Grief Counselor, Caitlin Burns, will offer wise wisdom and practical guidance on dealing with grief, regardless of age.
Although not a counseling session, participants will learn helpful resources for coping with grief throughout the journey.
The fifth week, which takes place on May 19th, addresses the very practical issue of caring for the body after death. This session covers planning a burial and various options for the final disposal of the body, including green burials, cremation, above-ground burial, and below-ground burial.
Funeral director Linn Ann Griffin of Strong and Jones and planning consultant Sarah Taylor of Lifesong will moderate this important discussion.
importance at the end of life
On May 26, Kamala Snow, director of chaplaincy at Big Bend Hospice, brings the series full circle as she discusses making sense of the time we have at the end of life.
Kamala has a master’s degree in transpersonal psychology and is a professionally trained and certified end-of-life doula. Doulas honor the naturalness of dying and how to support those going through it, with an emphasis on inclusivity.
The Tallahassee Threshold Singers will accompany Kamala on this final night of the series.
They will discuss and demonstrate how they bring comfort to people and their loved ones through song at the challenging thresholds of life and death. Founded in California in 2000, Threshold Choirs now have more than 100 chapters around the world bringing meaning and ending to life.
Facing mortality is never easy. But finding the courage to contemplate this path that we will all walk one day can make it much easier and richer when the time comes. I pray that many in our community will consider participating in this excellent series, in person or online.
Please visit leoncountylibrary.org for more information about the series and to learn how to participate virtually.
Rev. Candace McKibben is an ordained minister and pastor of the Tallahassee Fellowship.
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