I didn't always know this work existed.

A friend I trust, who has offered me guidance, was actually the first person to suggest end-of-life doula work to me. At the time, I hadn't even realized there were doulas who worked with the dying.

At first, I wasn't sure it sounded like a fit for me. But the more I thought about it, the more I learned about the work, and the more I reflected on my own experiences, the more that calling began to deepen.

Without going into great detail, I've been through many major transitions in my own life, some filled with a lot of pain and grief. Coming out and through the other side of those experiences, I began to realize what had actually helped me through them.

It was slowing down and meeting life in the moment. Setting an intention for each day and learning to be fully present with what life is now.

And it was the people who were willing to meet me there and offer kindness.

What helped me most wasn't a ton of advice. Sometimes it was gentle guidance that helped me listen to my own internal compass, but more than anything, it was being seen. Fully.

Becoming more rooted in my own being has helped me learn to meet others in that same way.

Behind all of the circumstances that may be changing around someone, I can meet the person who is right here in front of me and try to help them be comfortable and at peace now.

When I sit with someone, I want to know who they are. I want to hear their stories, what brought them here, what matters to them, what they love, what they've lived through, and what has made them who they are.

There doesn't always need to be something to say or something to fix.

Sometimes it's simply listening. Being present. Offering comfort and allowing someone to be exactly where they are.

Those quiet moments are what make this work meaningful to me.

And that is what continues to call me toward it.

My path into this work has also been shaped by hands-on caregiving. I became deeply involved in caring for my grandmother after she had a stroke, and remained part of her care until the evening she died. I later continued working with other clients, including becoming the main private caregiver for a client through the final stage of his life. Around the same time, I became certified as a Health Care Aide, with practicum experience in care homes, and hospital settings.

Those experiences gave me a close view of both the practical and deeply human sides of illness, caregiving, dying and grief- and they continue to shape the way I want to support people through Wisdom & Passage.