The Beechwood Way - Summer 2024 Vol.29
Could there be a more meaningful place to work in Ottawa than Beechwood? I do appreciate that I have a bias, however, with that bias I still think what we get to do day in and day out is meaningful and important. We get to service the families and the community, we welcome people from all over the country to visit, we hold countless ceremonies and events that commemorate large and small moments in Canadian and World History.
We recently honoured the contributions of the British Commonwealth Training Plan as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 100th anniversary with a tree and boulder tribute. Read more about this later in this issue, along with an overview of the events we held so far this year.
For the first time, Beechwood hosted a Death Café in the early spring, a second one in June and one more scheduled for the fall. And we are so proud of joining this global movement.
At a Death Café, people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death. A Death Café is a group-directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session. https://deathcafe.com/what/
The Death Café has really resonated in my mind. It was two completely unique discussions that provide a safe space to share personal stories, fears, concerns and all the assorted feelings and thoughts about dying and death. I was struck by the positive reaction of an individual listening to someone else’s story and how at that moment, in almost real time, a weight of guilt lifted off them.
They felt validated in their emotions and held that they were allowed to feel this way too. It was wonderful. During the café, people shared, cried, laughed and left, I hope, feeling a little less afraid of dying and death, and a little more comforted leaving Beechwood than when they came in.
Beechwood Cemetery is lucky to have people who support our programming and everything we do. And we are always so appreciative of all the donors that help provide the funding for our programming.
A big thank you to all of you. I’m proud to say that after looking back at our 150th anniversary, Beechwood is aiming for the next 150 years to be filled with projects, service to community and giving back to our city and country.
My hope is that Beechwood is part of our collective Canadian identity and the thought of Beechwood brings pride to our country.