The Village Healer

death doula

  • The Twilight Days

    Twilight is the most magical part of the day for me. In college I would often walk out to a field, or lake, to watch as the world put away its daytime energy to snuggle into its nighttime routine. For… Continue reading

    The Twilight Days

  • The Good Death

    The Good Death When I’m dying, I want it to be slow. Not slow like a hot Sunday service in an old church, Nor any Tuesday at a job that sucked my soul; But slow like watching sunsets rocking on… Continue reading

    The Good Death

  • So, You Want To Be An End of Life Doula…

    Maybe you’ve taken care of your parents as they took their last breaths. Maybe you’ve taken care of your own spouse or another relative as they died. There is a sense of purpose that fills you. A higher sense of… Continue reading

    So, You Want To Be An End of Life Doula…

  • What The Lack Of End Of Life Planning Really Costs

    I want to share a deeply personal story. At the time of his death my daughter’s father and I had been divorced for four years. During our 23 year marriage, because of my career, we always had open discussions about… Continue reading

    What The Lack Of End Of Life Planning Really Costs

  • To Tell, Or Not To Tell The Children, There’s No Question

    It is our job as parents to protect, nurture, and guide our children into whole human beings. It is our responsibility to do this to the best of our ability. If we do it right, the parenting role will take… Continue reading

    To Tell, Or Not To Tell The Children, There’s No Question

  • A Dialogue About Death

    Every story ever written has a beginning, middle and an end. Every author considers the end when first sitting down to write a storyline; However in the greatest story an individual will ever author, the end is often left unscripted.… Continue reading

    A Dialogue About Death

  • The Importance of Emotional Estate Planning

    True or False? “I’m not sick. I have plenty of time to do my emotional estate planning.” False. While it is never too late to start emotional estate planning, it is also never too early. Emotional estate planning should not… Continue reading

  • The Power of Presence

    It was a Monday, like any other Monday and I had a new patient to assess. Talking to the hospice nurse before I made my visit I learned that Violet had been admitted on Friday in stable condition was expected… Continue reading

  • When Death Comes – An End of Life Doula Perspective

    Early on Life taught me that it had a set of bookends named Birth and Death. I was not afforded the luxury of death denial. I understood clearly that death was always part of the deal. This perspective impacted my… Continue reading

  • To Those Who Would Shame Me

    When I first posted in a local facebook group the announcement of the Clarkston Death Café, the very first comment was “Making money off people’s grief and suffering. You should be ashamed of yourself.” My first reaction was one of… Continue reading