The Sacred Conversation We Need to Have

I just participated in an End of Life Preparation workshop. It was well attended and exceeded the expectations of the organizers.

It’s amazing how, when people are given the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings about death, dying, and grieving, the floodgates fling wide open! Participants were fully engaged and genuinely interested in each topic.

What We Explored

The agenda included:

● Near-death experiences

● Death as a spiritual event versus a problem

● Understanding grief and loss in a culture that doesn’t understand grief

● Getting your affairs in order while you are mentally intact

The audience was mostly made up of late- to early-Boomers. My first thought was, “Of course,

this population would be interested—they’re nearing this stage of life.” But then I realized

something deeper: what we’re truly doing is modeling for our children and grandchildren

how to live well and die well.

I was doubly fortunate to have both parents model for me how to greet death—as the next

beautiful experience that it is. In Harry Potter, the wise wizard Dumbledore proclaimed, “To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”

Why Don’t We Talk About Death More?

Why don’t we have more of these types of gatherings and discussions?

What’s stopping us from having heart-opening conversations about death, dying, and grieving?

I believe we, as a species, are evolving—expanding our consciousness and learning to see

death as part of the sacred continuum of life.

Experts Conversations and Courage

Each presenter was an expert on their topic, which added to the depth and meaning of the day.

The highlight for me was discovering how many organizations now exist to help people explore their feelings about death—gently and without judgment.

For example:

● Death Café – “Talking about death won’t kill you.” (www.deathcafe.com)

● Death Over Dinner – A unique dining experience designed to challenge the taboos

around death. (www.deathoverdinner.org)

These gatherings offer people a safe, open space to ask, “What does death mean to me?” No

right or wrong answers—just honest sharing.

My Contribution: Redefining Grief

My contribution was to clarify what grief truly is. We often associate grief only with the death of a loved one, but it’s much broader.

I shared that loss is what we experience, and grief is what we feel.

We suffer many kinds of losses over the course of our lives—relationships, identity, health,

dreams—and each one carries grief.

This insight was met with nods of recognition. People resonated deeply with the idea that our

culture misunderstands grief, often minimizing or ignoring its presence.

The Hunger for More

The participants left wanting more—asking, “When is the next meeting?” It was clear that people are ready. Ready to share, ready to understand, ready to meet life and death with greater awareness and compassion.

My Takeaway

The most powerful message I received from the day was this:

I can lean into death as a spiritual experience rather than a medical emergency or a problem to solve. That image lingers in my mind and heart. What comes to mind for you when you hear that?

Moving Forward

How can we create more spaces for people to express and explore their grief? How can we

remove the old societal barriers that prevent us from having honest, healing conversations

about dying, grieving, and living fully?

I’ve taken this to heart—seeking opportunities and creating them wherever I can.

To talk.

To share.

To listen.

To heal.

Stay tuned for what’s to come next on this journey…

With love and grace,

Bonnie Gonzalez | Your Doula for Grief

“Don’t do grief alone.”

www.yourdoulaforgrief.com