To accept what cannot be helped
A very good account here by Ann Hulbert of her mother’s response to being told she had an incurable cancer: Two years ago this coming June my mother—“an 80-year-old in a 60-year-old’s body,” the pulmonologist told her—was ambushed by a diagnosis of Stage IV adenocarcinoma of the lungs … In the windowless examining room at […]
Life is never seen so brief as when we die
The Digital Cuttlefish is the online alias of a person who, in his/her own words, is a “skeptic and atheist versifier”. DC has self-pseudonymised as such because: The cuttlefish will use its ink To hide itself – and so, I think Will I… The Digital Cuttlefish is a very skilful versifier indeed — stunning rhymes; […]
The Dead – Billy Collins
The Dead The dead are always looking down on us, they say, while we are putting on our shoes or making a sandwich, they are looking down through the glass-bottom boats of heaven as they row themselves slowly through eternity. They watch the tops of our heads moving below on earth, and buy discount cialis […]
Who needs one anyway?
KEYZER, Jacques (Jack) C.L. October 15, 1926 – January 27, 2011. It is with the deepest regret and extreme sadness that we announce the passing of Jack Keyzer, beloved husband to Kay, grand-father, father and dear friend. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, Jack and his family emmigrated to South Africa when he was 13 […]
A time to die
Every week in the Spectator magazine Peter Jones takes an occurrence or development in contemporary society and politics and considers it in the light of what the ancients did when faced with the same circumstances. This week he considers the art of dying. I’d now bung you a link but I can’t: the Speccie does not […]
Aghori
The ascetic’s refusal to accept worldly comforts is venerated by Hindus, but the awesome, horrifying renunciation of the AGHORI sadhu seems to defy the norms of civilized life. He will live only in the cremation ground, cook his food on the fires of the funeral pyre, eat and drink from a hollow skull that he […]
Death ed
There’s a brilliant piece over at funeralwise.com that I think you will want to read. It’s an interview with a teacher, George Campbell, who used to teach a death education class to his high school students.Yes, a death ed class. Could any teacher in Britain propose such a thing without getting death threats? Here’s a […]
Right to die – when is it, and do you have a?
Assisted dying, self-deliverance, euthanasia and allowing people to die naturally – all these are hot topics which can only get hotter. I’ve just had this email from CareNotKilling, and anti-assisted dying org: Channel 4 are giving you the opportunity to voice your views on a series of short films about euthanasia, which are being shown on […]
Thought for the day
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life played at a funeral. Children in a playground giggling about sex.
Death in the community
Here’s an interesting idea: the café mortel, or death café. Never heard of it? No, I hadn’t either. It’s a Swiss thing, apparently. In the words of the Independent: The concept, although a little morbid, is straightforward enough – a dozen strangers meet to have a drink and talk about death for a couple of […]
