Let's talk about death (over dinner): an invitation and guide to life's most important conversation

Abstract

1. Offering permission -- 2. Extending the invitation -- The Prompts -- If you had only thirty days left to live, how would you spend them? Your last day? Your last hour? -- What foods do you remember a departed loved one cooking for you? -- If you were to design your own funeral or memorial, what would it look like? -- Is there an excess of medical intervention at the end of life? -- Do you have your will, advance-care directives, and power of attorney completely, and if not, why? -- What is the most significant end-of-life experience of which you've been a part? -- Why don't we talk about death? -- How do you talk to kids about death? -- Do you believe in an afterlife? -- Would you even consider doctor-assisted suicide? -- What song would you want played at your funeral? Who would sing it? -- Are you an organ donor? -- What does a good death look like? -- What do you want done with your body? -- Are there certain deaths we should never speak of? -- If you could extend your life, how many years would you add? Twenty, fifty, one hundred, forever? -- What do you want your legacy to be? -- How long should we grieve? -- What would you eat for your last meal? -- Is there a way you want to feel on your deathbed? -- What would you want people to say about you at your funeral? -- How do you end a conversation about death?