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How to Avoid Political Arguments at Thanksgiving
From:
Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death, Funeral Expert Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death, Funeral Expert
Albuquerque, NM
Wednesday, November 23, 2016


Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®
 

Looking for ways to avoid political arguments around the table this Thanksgiving? Pioneering death educator Gail Rubin suggests talking about death and your preferences on end-of-life issues instead.

Kicking the Bucket List cover"Remembering that we all have a deadline, and rededicating ourselves to making the most of this lifetime before we reach that last day, provides some perspective," says Rubin, a Certified Thanatologist and author of KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die.

"There are plenty of free resources to help get the conversation started. You can also start a conversation after watching a comedic film or TV program. You'll laugh, you'll learn, and you'll be able to start a funeral planning or end-of-life conversation more easily," explains Rubin.

Here are Rubin's top recommendations for conversation-starting funny films and TV programs to watch with your family this Thanksgiving:

  • The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the 1976 season's hilarious episode 7 "Chuckles Bites the Dust" will get everyone sharing their funeral stories and preferences at the end of the 30-minute program. (Amazon link)
  • Bernie DVD coverBernie – A true story about a beloved, caring funeral director who befriends the wealthiest widow in a small Texas town – and then things go terribly wrong. (Amazon link)
  • Get Low – Another true story about a man in the 1930s who wanted to have his funeral while he was alive and make it a party. (Amazon link)
  • Elizabethtown – A romantic comedy with a great sound track that illuminates the similarities between weddings and funerals and differences in family preferences regarding cremation or burial. (Amazon link)
  • Undertaking Betty – Another romantic comedy set in Wales that features two funeral directors with very different styles of undertaking. (Amazon link)
  • Checking Out – Peter Falk stars as an aging actor who gathers his family for a 90th birthday party by announcing he'll be committing suicide afterward. (Amazon link)
  • The Bucket List – Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman are cancer patients and hospital roommates who take the opportunity to live life to the fullest, discussing their final disposition preferences in the process. (Amazon link)

For those who would rather use printed resources, check out these websites:

Wishing everyone a safe and sane Thanksgiving celebration!

Gail Rubin, CT, is author and host of the award-winning book and television series, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, Hail and Farewell: Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips, and KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die.

Rubin is a Certified Thanatologist (that's a death educator) and a popular speaker who uses humor and films to get the end-of-life and funeral planning conversation started. She "knocked 'em dead" with her TEDx talk, A Good Goodbye. She provides continuing education credit classes for attorneys, doctors, nurses, social workers, hospice workers, financial planners, funeral directors and other professionals. She's a Certified Funeral Celebrant and funeral planning consultant who has been interviewed in national and local print, broadcast and online media.

Known as The Doyenne of Death®, she also hosts A Good Goodbye Internet radio show and produces Mortality Minute radio and online video spots.

Rubin is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, Toastmasters International and the National Speakers Association New Mexico Chapter. Her speaking profile is available at eSpeakers.com.

Gail Rubin has been interviewed about funeral planning issues in national and local broadcast, print and online media. Outlets include The Huffington Post, Money Magazine, Kiplinger, CBS Radio News, WGN-TV,  and local affiliates for NPR, PBS, FOX, ABC-TV, CBS-TV and NBC-TV.

Sign up for a free planning form and occasional informative newsletter at her website, AGoodGoodbye.com.
News Media Interview Contact
Name: Gail Rubin
Group: A Good Goodbye
Dateline: Albuquerque, NM United States
Direct Phone: 505-265-7215
Cell Phone: 505-363-7514
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