Linger over what makes you smile. Savor delight and connection. Fully embrace and absorb meaningful moments as they pass. Why Incorporate Impermanence Practices? From completely forgettable happenings to momentous events, nothing lasts forever. Moments are here, and then they’re gone. Every sentient being will have its allotted lifespan. Even our sun is destined to eventually… Continue reading Impermanence
As a doula, I've had the incomparable honor of being present at life's beginnings and end. Either can (sometimes) be difficult. Both can (sometimes) be beautiful. Recently, I was providing phone support to an adult son who was tending to his terminally-ill mother. It was an exhausting, emotional journey for them, as it can (often)… Continue reading A Goodbye Lullaby
If you know me at all as a doula or death lit writer, you know I reference “intensity” far more often than “suffering.” This is because intensity—during birth, death, or grief—is pretty much a given. Whether it’s felt by the person actually journeying through or those surrounding them, and whether it’s emotional, physical, spiritual, or… Continue reading Attending to Suffering: Helplessness and Proximity
First, please know, you are held in gratitude. Whether you are a clinician, faith leader, deathcare worker, life coach, volunteer, neighbor, or loved one, the support you supply to others is crucial. Without it, many among us would feel lonely and neglected. So, thank you. Caring for people through the end of life can become… Continue reading A Letter to Death Care Providers & Partners
(Originally published by Death Doula Network International) As deathcare providers (and people who have personally experienced loss), we know that issues of regret, shame, and forgiveness can sometimes arise during a person’s last chapter. It’s as if suppressed difficulties return when time runs short. Knowing this, how might we begin to prepare ourselves and those… Continue reading Resolution Through Releasing
Francesca Lynn Arnoldy 