Do you ever find yourself surprised by surprise? Recently, while reading Belonging by Toko-pa Turner, I had an out-loud “huh” moment that caused me to shut the book for a long pause. In a passage about journeying through exile, Turner writes, “The initiated adult has learned to withstand uncertainty, has paid a debt to the… Continue reading The Eventual Ancestor
There's a special mailbox tucked into a quiet walking trail in quaint Hinesburg, Vermont. For more than a decade, its origin story was unknown. In 2020, the person who originally installed it finally fessed up. It was Barry Lampke. He'd been missing the connection he had shared with his father before his death. They used… Continue reading Immortal Mail
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
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
As it tends to happen, I just had THE MOST INCREDIBLE experience (namely, leading a retreat in Portugal), but it was bookended with heartache. Before leaving for the retreat, my dear Gram had a serious fall and was gone within a week. Although she wasn't ever actually terminally ill (which made getting hospice care difficult), she announced… Continue reading Layers of Loss
Francesca Lynn Arnoldy 