On Bright Wings

07/14/2025

Thanks to Going with Grace for this. My rules are much the same, only dress me in something cool and flowy—ala Stevie Nicks.

06/26/2025

06/25/2025

This video provides an excellent primer on what to expect during the dying process.
The Dying Process Explained: It’s Not Like the Movies

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxMs95bFd-pqYOh8imsOx3_K0c3YRWU0ai?si=Y-LVt6LiBwrdi1ur

06/01/2025

Summer’s here! Happy June! 😀☀️🌷

05/28/2025

You can benefit the planet even after death! Read this review of options available that help (or don’t help) the environment. Personally, I am considering either aquamation or NOR. What feels right for you?

Building a meaningful, eco-friendly, and equitable end of life.

05/12/2025

From the wonderful FB page, Ravenous Butterflies:

"I dedicate myself to myself, for the rest of my life, without haste, without excuses.
I don't know how much time I have left, But I want to spend it remaining true to who I am, without letting anyone disturb my inner peace.
I now grant myself the right to open a bottle of wine for no particular reason, to buy myself flowers without waiting for someone to give them to me, to walk without ever looking back.
Happiness found me the day I stopped looking for it in others and discovered it within myself.
Life cannot be replayed.
And I have decided to live it to the fullest.”
Meryl Streep

Maxfield Parrish - Wild Geese, 1924.

01/26/2025

I’m excited to be presenting on the political aspects of death doula work at Utrecht University in The Netherlands later this year!

Deadline for registration and payment: Friday 16 May, 2025. The conference will be held in and around Dom Square, the vibrant heart of Utrecht’s historic city center. We are currently compiling a list of recommended accommodations (including discounts) and nearby places to eat and drink, which we ...

11/20/2024

Comparing yourself to others is a BIG self-sabotage! Your feelings are valid FOR YOU no matter how sad someone else’s experience is. Feelings don’t change if you don’t acknowledge them. They will find other ways to manifest.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/959650179328396?fs=e&fs=e&s=TIeQ9V

11/19/2024

Intellectualization in Grief: Defense Mechanisms Demystified
“…When a person is confronted with painful or frightening emotions, they might try to intellectualize them, rather than actually experience them. In this way, they avoid making contact with their feelings by examining them from an arm's length away.”

It’s understandable to want to avoid painful feelings, and grief has lots of them! We can feel angry, sad or depressed, guilty, and/or relief all at once or separately. It’s overwhelming! One of the ways we avoid messy feelings is by intellectualizing. This article explains the how and why of doing so, and why it’s so important to feel the feelings in all their messy glory!

https://whatsyourgrief.com/intellectualization-in-grief-defense-mechanisms-demystified/

10/23/2024

I love you and I’m here for you.

It’s hard to know what to say to someone who is grieving. But don’t let fear paralyze you into inaction.

Megan Devine, psychotherapist and author of “It’s Ok That You’re Not OK,” shares the impact that silence can have:

“Because we're so weird and so awkward about grief, one of the things that can happen is, as a support person, you feel like, ‘I don't wanna say the wrong thing.’ So, you say nothing.

Saying nothing is a terrible, terrible thing to do to your grieving person.

For the grieving person what that feels like is abandonment. So, not only have they lost their person but they've lost their people.”

Remember that “speaking” grief can be done with actions in addition to or in place of words. Give a hug. Sit with someone in silence. Mow the lawn. Drop off food. Show up.

For more: https://speakinggrief.org/get-better-at-grief/supporting-grief/be-authentic

10/17/2024

We remember, we honor, we love.

09/25/2024

The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Death Doula
Know the benefits and potential drawbacks of working with a death doula for the final days of life
By Jane K. Callahan

For those faced with a terminal diagnosis — and their families — bringing a death doula into the fold is an increasingly popular option for navigating our final days. Also known as end-of-life doulas or death midwives, death doulas help the dying and their families pave the way to a better death through logistical, emotional and spiritual preparation. We are non-medical, non-legal professionals that act as a complement to hospice, filling the gaps to provide more holistic death care.

While studies have shown that families have an overwhelmingly positive experience when they hire a death doula, it may not be the best fit for everyone. As with most any significant choice, the key is to weigh your pros and cons. Here are what I consider to be the top benefits and possible drawbacks in signing on a death doula — and how you can address them.

Read the story here:
https://www.nextavenue.org/pros-and-cons-death-doula/?utm_source=Next+Avenue+Email+Newsletter&utm_campaign=37b6351388-Tuesday_Newsletter_03_07_23__COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_056a405b5a-37b6351388-166435065&mc_cid=37b6351388&mc_eid=f700c0189e