Center for End of Life Transitions

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Mountain Xpress: In Asheville and beyond, death is a topic worthy of the living

By Nikki Glasser

Until he cared for his dying daughter two years ago, Said Osio could not have imagined having a conversation about death. As her caregiver, he realized, “There is a belief in our culture that if we talk about death with someone who is ill, it’s in a way acknowledging defeat.”

Osio co-directs Third Messenger, an informal community of Asheville-area death activists. “Acknowledging death is celebrating life,” he says. “It is just part of the equation.”

Fear of death and dying is the second-most common phobia in the United States, second only to fear of public speaking, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. So it may be surprising to learn that growing numbers of people are embracing death, contemplating it and planning for its inevitable arrival. There are weekendlong Death Salons springing up around the United States and the United Kingdom. And this September in Texas, there will be a death-themed film festival.

Read the full article here.

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  • Advance Care & After Death Care Directives
  • Preparing for Your Own Good Death and Life
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Testimonials

  • Yesterday, Jane’s body lay in state at Ruth’s house. No more Roman Senator. Jane looked like a Buddha. Intensity of focus suggested she was learning to walk or fly or swim the channels of light, while the vigil of the living continued around her.

    Read Deneen's Story

  • What we did was the difference, for my family, in incurring debt and remaining solvent, and in saying an intimate goodbye in a language we all understood, as opposed to saying goodbye in the mortuary chapel of kindly paid professionals.

    Read Dawn's Story

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Center for End of Life Transitions

32 Mineral Dust Drive
Asheville, NC 28806

CEOLT: 828-318-9077
Caroline: 828-676-9806
Email: info@ceolt.org

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The Center for End of Life Transitions is an all-faiths project of Anattasati Magga, a Buddhist Sangha for the Laity. Our services are offered by our volunteers. Learn More

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