Telling the Bees Fest: Community Conversations on Deathcare

The state’s oldest charitable organization, Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care, and one of the newest, Wally’s Hearth, have collaborated to host the Telling the Bees Fest. The event aims to promote compassionate discussions about end-of-life care, grief, and death. Named after a Celtic and British Isles tradition, the festival embodies familial connections by involving bees in sharing significant life events.

Tiffany Johnson, co-founder of Wally’s Hearth, expounds on the symbolism of bees, emphasizing their role in connecting people through life’s pivotal moments. She recounts how Scottish immigrants in the South incorporated beehives into their homes and used them to convey news of births and deaths. Gus Noble, president of Caledonia Senior Living, concurs, highlighting the interconnectedness of people and nature, akin to the bond bees foster.

The festival takes place on September 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Caledonia Senior Living, located at 2800 Des Plaines Avenue, North Riverside. Public attendance is encouraged, and registrations can be made via [email protected].

The event endeavors to bridge knowledge gaps by offering networking opportunities among care providers and community residents. Johnson explains the nonmedical hospice model of Wally’s Hearth, providing end-of-life care without cost and reducing the burden on families. Caledonia Senior Living and Wally’s Hearth are aligned in values, even though logistical challenges prevented room conversions for Wally’s Hearth.

The festival fosters creativity in planning for end-of-life scenarios, counteracting the often delayed conversations due to a lack of awareness and options. It connects aging population providers and resources for less traditional body disposition methods, such as water cremation and green burial. Attendees will also learn about integrating nature and tradition into farewell rituals.

Noble and Johnson underscore the importance of connecting present moments with the future. The festival aims to include discussions beyond death, promoting how to live fully and create lasting legacies. Resources for families, including age-specific guidance for children on grief, will be provided.

Musical performances, including bagpipes and the Threshold Choir, will enrich the atmosphere. Cultural connections are emphasized with Scottish and Native American musical traditions represented. Despite spatial limitations, the event aims to accommodate 150 to 350 attendees on the expansive campus.

Speakers will address essential topics like the differences between hospice and palliative care. Legal advisors and funeral service representatives will supply valuable information, promoting informed decision-making to ease the burden on families.

Entry to the festival is free, though donations are welcomed to support the hosting organizations and future initiatives. Noble highlights the importance of posthumous planning, sharing personal insights from his father’s deliberate and stress-reducing funeral plans.

Johnson and Noble hope the festival empowers attendees to leave with a sense of peace and readiness to contemplate their own end-of-life plans. The event encourages open conversations around death as a community project, fostering emotional bonds and exploration beyond conventional thinking.

Melinda Moore of Pioneer Press provides freelance reporting on community events and initiatives.