Dying Matters Week 13th – 19th May 2019 

Are We Ready?

No, we’re not asking if you are ready for Dying Matters Week (although you should be its just 6 days away…)

In 2019, Dying Matters is asking US to consider the question: Are We Ready?

It’s a question that challenges each of us on several levels. Are We Ready for our own deaths, or the deaths of those we care about?

The question is a practical one – have we thought about wills, funeral planning and more.

It is of course an emotional one.

And for some a spiritual one.

For many of us, the answer will not be ‘yes’.

From research undertaken by Dying Matters, we know that most people haven’t taken care of the practical aspects, which include deciding on organ donation, and planning our future care.

And even for those that have, the emotional aspect of being ready for death is challenging.

Who is ever really ready to die? 

Such questions are best faced with the help of others, which is why Dying Matters is asking ‘Are We Ready?’

To face death and dying is a challenge greater than any one of us can face alone, and it is all of our responsibility.

We’re in this life together, so this question is asking much more of us than you might think.

Dying Matters has provided a sample of ‘Are We Ready?’ questions.

• Are We Ready to help others get their affairs in order?
• Are We Ready to help people we know who are caring for someone who is dying? 
• Are We Ready to support someone who is grieving? 
• Or even something as simple as “Are We Ready to talk about it?”

We can only know the answer if we start to have the conversation, and as we’ve said before, talking about it won’t make it happen.

And those conversations don’t stop in our private lives – they have to form a part of the public debate as well. 

Each year Dying Matters chooses a theme for each weekday. Here’s the themes for 2019.

Monday – Funeral costs 
Tuesday – Memorialisation 
Wednesday – Grieving for a pet
Thursday – Support for those who are estranged from/have no family
Friday – Diversity and inclusion at end of life

Here’s the link for your Dying Matters Week social media downloads.