Michael Dewilde provides an interesting reflection on people, society, and its norms.

Our own Beth Buelow presents her talk on, "What's Mine? Thoughts, on Saying, Doing, and Caring.

Our own C3 member Tod Wyn fills in for Brad Ruggles this week and delivers his talk about the courage of giving up.

We arrive at Winter Solstice, the longest night and shortest day of the year. In a season when many of us feel the weight of less light and, at times, the heaviness of depression. Instead, we’ll explore what it means to walk together into the dark and to meet winter with honesty, gentleness, and open hearts.

This is the season of darkness - the days are getting shorter.  We are invited into the quiet of the dark. We explore how we can find light in the darkness - and how we can do that individually, as well as together. There are tools that assist us in tending the light, and Ruth will guide us to consider what we want to carry with us in the dark.

We pick up where the snowstorm left us and land the plane on our Memento Mori series with a talk called “The Good Death.” For centuries, many cultures have had their own sense of what makes a “good death” and how to prepare for it.

Liz Freedman, who is earning her End of Life Doula certification, adds to our series by talking about grief, death and dying.

Guest speaker Michael Dewilde discusses the ethics of assisted suiciee. Does respect for the autonomy of an individual, or a callous indifference to the sanctity of life? A compassionate response to pain, in it many forms, or an efficient if selfish way to spare the living unwanted costs of care? A responsible use of medical training, or the undermining of all physicians are supposed to hold dear?

Memento mori—Latin for “remember that you must die”—may sound grim, but this ancient Stoic reminder is really an invitation to live more deeply by remembering our mortality. Death is not the opposite of life but part of it. When we face our impermanence with honesty and curiosity, fear begins to soften, gratitude deepens, and life itself grows more vivid.

Brad Ruggles walks us through our past and continuing history as the C3 community holds its annual celebration.