Author: Francesca Lynn Arnoldy

Francesca Lynn Arnoldy is a community doula and death literacy advocate. A respected thought leader in the end-of-life care field, she is the author of MAP OF MEMORY LANE (a picture book), CULTIVATING THE DOULA HEART (a guidebook) and THE DEATH DOULA'S GUIDE TO LIVING FULLY AND DYING PREPARED (an interactive workbook). She is a published researcher with the Vermont Conversation Lab and was the original creator of the doula training programs at the University of Vermont. At the core of all her work is a dedication to inspire compassion, connection, and confidence for life's greatest times of intensity. She resides in a quaint village in rural Vermont with her beloveds.

Community Death Literacy

Francesca Lynn Arnoldy

Death illiteracy is a significant social and public health challenge. Our difficulty in accepting our mortality, combined with a reluctance to plan for life’s eventual end, can lead to unnecessary suffering and isolation. However, by improving our individual and collective understanding of death, we can take meaningful steps to foster a greater sense of connection… Continue reading Community Death Literacy

Life Goes On

Francesca Lynn Arnoldy

An essential part of a doula practice is introspection. When I am granted access to the most profound moments in another person's life, I can't help but be moved. And changed. Sometimes I'm even rattled. Almost always, I am awed. If this weren't to happen, it'd be an indication that I had closed off my… Continue reading Life Goes On

Your Why

Francesca Lynn Arnoldy

Ultimately, life is an endless series of mostly dull moments strung between sporadic, pivotal events. And most of us enjoy a humble existence. Your purpose for living doesn’t need to be complex or elaborate. Fame and fortune do not equal meaning. Some of us know what we are meant to be or do during our… Continue reading Your Why

Vital Deathcaring: Maintaining Connection to our Humanity

Francesca Lynn Arnoldy

Truth: Caring can be draining. But does it necessarily have to be? Can we find ways to notice our own dwindling energy reserves and replenish them as needed? First and foremost, let's establish the most important promise we must make to ourselves, which is to maintain connection to our own humanity. We must be aware… Continue reading Vital Deathcaring: Maintaining Connection to our Humanity