Author Archives: diealoguecafe

Slowly but surely the message is getting out that encouraging people to plan for death can deliver good outcomes for everyone involved. Hal Swerissen and Stephen Duckett [Gattan Institute, Melbourne, Vic.](What can we do to help Australians die the way … Continue reading →

Jean Kittson, is best known for her work as a comedian, but that does not mean she limits herself to making fun of life’s everyday situations. “It’s an interesting fact that 70 per cent of us, at the end of … Continue reading →

An email lobbed into our mailbox today.  From Elizabeth Knox at the Crossings Network it pointed her readers to a story by Libby Copeland, writing in The New Republic.  Who Owns Death? talks about the grip that the funeral industry has … Continue reading →

As it does every year, Sydney Writers Festival (SWF) dishes up some great speakers that inspire us to think more deeply about various issues. 2015 is no different. Our pick of the crop is Caitlin Doughty. Featured on ABC TV … Continue reading →

It is National Palliative Care Week from May 25-31 and the theme for this years awareness week is Dying to Talk.  We are all encouraged to do three simple things: THINK, TALK and TELL.   One good way to get … Continue reading →

Bruce Lipton, in his publication The Wisdom of Your Cells, writes that: “The emerging new paradigm reveals that we are not here by random chance, we are here by an intention and purposeful design of Nature.” Lipton contributes to conversations … Continue reading →

“Naked came we into this world and, with the exception of maybe a pacemaker and a few sad tattoos, we’re pretty much going out the same way.”  Neil Jameson (Newcastle Herald, 14 March 2015) has observed in Lives stuffed with stuff, … Continue reading →

This is the story that includes reference to a home funeral.  It is by no means the central theme and does not appear in the slide sequence until almost the end.  It does seem like the natural extension of what … Continue reading →

It is time to forgo instant gratification in favour of the thrill of accruing real wealth (read health).   With the New Year now 10% gone it is a good time to reassess how we are tracking in terms of our … Continue reading →

We thought our first post for 2015 ought to deal with our adequacy to manage our own affairs just like our great parents did in the good ole days.  Let’s talk about death and dying argues that it’s time for … Continue reading →