(no subject)

[theweaselking]

A Dutch primary school teacher dying of cancer is overseeing one last class project: her pupils are making her coffin.

Eri van den Biggelaar, 40, has just a few weeks to live after being diagnosed last year with an aggressive form of cervical cancer.

She asked the woodwork teacher, a friend, to build a coffin for her. "Why don't you let the children make it?" replied Erik van Dijk.

Now pupils of the school in Someren, who normally plane wood for baskets and placemats, have been helping with the finishing touches. They have already sawed more than 100 narrow boards and glued them together. Only the lid needs to be completed.

The coffin now stands in the middle of one of the classrooms.

Although Miss van den Biggelaar can no longer teach, she has looked at sketches of the coffin and is being kept up to date about it by pupils, aged between four and 11, who visit her at home.

Comments

[unknownpoltroon.livejournal.com]

Seems like a good way to get teh kids used to the concept shes going to be gone. I wonder if this would EVER fly here in the us.

[caramia.livejournal.com]

Unfortuntely no. Nor here in Canada I believe. When it comes to sex and/or death (not at the same time hopefully) we as North Americans take a way to sombre aproach in my opinion.We mourn losses instead of celebrating them.

[the-colombian.livejournal.com]

Not sure if you'd call it "mourning" a loss...as losses kinda suck:-) "Celebrating" a passing to the "next life" would fit better...if you believe in the next life, that is.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Or celebrating the life that was, if you don't believe in a next life.

[goblinpaladin.livejournal.com]

That is both awesome and creepy.

[ben-raccoon.livejournal.com]

That was my exact thought.

[jerril]

I think that's absolutely terrific.

Too often in North America the dying are shunned and isolated, instead of being given support at a time in their lives where they dearly need it. Not only does this make it more likely your exit from this life will be miserable, it also means that no-one else really knows how to cope with death, or how to support your grieving family members.