Hopes & Fears: Intergenerational Conversation about Death

My Life, My Stories is a local non-profit dedicated to building meaningful intergenerational relationships where people of all ages can grow and learn from one another. We’re passionate about creating opportunities for our neighbors to connect and share experiences.

We invite you to join us for an afternoon of conversation! The theme for this event is “hopes & fears.” What do you fear most about death? What do you hope for about death? What does life mean to you? Our feelings about death evolve as we age. How do you define the idea of “living in the moment?” How has your definition shifted as you’ve aged? We’re all going to die—it’s a given. Do we approach death differently (or similarly) based on our age, life experiences, and values?

We’re pairing 30 young people with 30 older adults for one-on-one conversations to demystify the negative stigmas surrounding death.

We ask that you come with an open mind and positive attitude and let’s see what happens! This afternoon of connections will include opening stories by Alan and Karen, volunteers of My Life, My Stories.

Alan, 79 years old

First generation American, Harvard PhD, first openly gay professor, and retired therapist, Alan helped revolutionize therapy techniques and practices in the 1970s through the 1990s. In his twenties, Alan lived in India and worked alongside Mother Teresa as a Fulbright scholar. Alan has a passion for traveling and next year he plans to take the TransSiberian Railway from St Petersburg to Beijing!

Karen, 77 years old

Activist and artist, Karen owned a multi-media art studio in the Mission for 14 years until it was destroyed in a fire. Even though Karen lost her life’s work, she continues to be one of the most open and inspiring people we’ve met. She has brought many audiences to tears with personal stories about love, resilience, and loss.

This event is free, open to everyone, and donation based. All donations will go directly back to My Life, My Stories.