Huffington Magazine Issue 68 | Page 51

At 46, Laura Sweet has thrown plenty of dinner parties. The routine has become familiar: Pick a date, email invites, fire up a few favorite dishes, pour some wine and let the conversations flow. PREVIOUS PAGE: WAYNE PRICE; THIS PAGE: LAURA SWEET But for the former hospice volunteer who lives in Walnut Creek, Calif., the dinner she hosted on her apartment building’s roof in August was bound to stand out. For starters, she had to include this warning to guests: “This might be the most unusual dinner invitation I have ever sent, but bear with me, I think we’re in for a remarkable experience ... This is not meant to be a morbid conversation...” The meal’s theme: death. Laura Sweet hosted a Death Over Dinner event on her Walnut Creek, Calif., rooftop last month.