Suivez-Moi Doula

09/27/2025

Join us to celebrate life. Pakorn created Make Cancer Chic and we are ready to celebrate with him.

09/18/2025

The French phrase "Suivez-moi" (pronounced swee-vay mwa) means "Follow me." It is the motto on the Hawley Coat of Arms and provides the inspiration for my end-of-life doula business. The surname Hawley is derived from a hedged meadow. The Coat of Arms features a green field, called vert in heraldy. In addition to symbolizing nature the green field can also represent:

Hope: Symbolizing a positive outlook and optimism for the future.

Joy: Representing happiness and a lighthearted spirit.

Loyalty in Love: Signifying faithfulness and steadfast affection.

Freshness: Suggesting new beginnings, growth, and vitality.

In heraldry, the silver (white) X is called a saltire. It represents a diagonal cross and is a very common charge, a term for any object or figure placed on a shield. The specific meaning of a saltire can vary by context and family, but it is often associated with:

Patience in suffering: Referencing the martyrdom of St. Andrew.

Resolution: Symbolizing strength and determination.

Protection: The shape of the cross itself could be seen as a sign of defense.

Valor: It is a symbol that might be granted to those who have shown great courage in battle.

The saltire's tinctures (colors) also carry their own significance. When the saltire is silver or white, the color is called Argent. Argent is often said to represent sincerity, peace, and innocence.

08/15/2025

End Well is best known for its flagship annual event, often described as the "TED of the end of life." This symposium gathers leading thinkers and innovators for a series of short, compelling talks and presentations. The event is designed to be inspiring, thought-provoking, and action-oriented, aiming to spark new ideas and collaborations to improve end-of-life care.

End Well is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the end-of-life experience into a more human-centered one. Its core mission is to create a cultural shift around how people think, talk about, and experience dying, moving the conversation from a purely medical issue to a deeply human one.

The organization believes that the end of life is a universal human experience that deserves to be met with dignity, compassion, and preparedness. They aim to build a future where every individual and their families feel supported—medically, emotionally, and spiritually—as they navigate this final stage of life.

08/06/2025

Did you know...
that traditional burial releases 100,000 gallons of formaldehyde into the soil every year?

01/28/2025

It has been said that death and public speaking are our greatest fears. Perhaps that has always been so regarding public speaking. Over a hundred years ago, families took care of their family members at end of life and funeral services occurred at home. Death is a natural process that all of us will experience. None of us gets out of here alive! Life, including its natural completion, is a profound experience, and I believe we all deserve a good death, however we define it.

How death shifted from a sacred part of life to our greatest fear—and learn how to reclaim its meaning with love, rituals, and understanding.

01/11/2025

As a death doula, I walk alongside individuals and families as they navigate the sacred thresholds of life and death, and I often find solace and meaning in stories that reflect the tender complexities of this journey. Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door is one such film—a luminous exploration of memory, love, and the spaces we inhabit as we prepare to let go.

Almodóvar masterfully crafts a narrative that feels both deeply intimate and universally resonant. The film lingers in the liminal spaces—both literal and metaphorical—where past and present intersect, where relationships unfold and resolve, and where grief finds its voice. It captures the vulnerability of farewells and the power of presence, mirroring the essence of what I witness in my work.

This isn’t just a movie; it’s a meditation on what it means to live fully and to transition gracefully. The Room Next Door invites you to reflect on the rooms you’ve left behind, the ones you’ve yet to enter, and the ones you’ll carry with you always. It’s a cinematic balm for anyone seeking connection, closure, or simply the courage to embrace life’s impermanence.

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