A Necessary Conversation to Live Death Aware

A Necessary Conversation is a personal endeavor to do death differently. I've always been interested in death. As a young child, I would often think about what happens when someone dies. I somehow, intuitively knew, that no one wanted to speak about death, so I stuffed my curiosity for years. Decades later, a tipping point occurred. I received a call that my Dad had died unexpectedly. I was shocked, saddened, angry, confused and lost. I wondered, what do I do next? Then the hero (my Mom) came into the picture. My parents had been divorced for over 20 years, and both had recreated new lives. However, my Mom showed my sisters and I, how to plan the most beautiful Celebration of Life for our Dad. My Mom gently guided us to make decisions that represented our Dad's genuine essence, all while being true to ourselves. My Dad's Celebration of Life was one of the best days of my life! A few seasons after my Dad's death, I felt the strong desire to start on my own personal journey with End-of-Life (EOL). I started researching and engaging in areas around death that interested me. Soon, I began obtaining certifications and trainings in several areas, such as: Death Doula, Spiritual Care for EOL, Peer Support in Traumatic Grief, Grief Group Leader, Hospice and NODA (No One Dies Alone) Volunteer. I would be remiss if I didn't share that my journey (above) of death exploration, would not have been possible, if I hadn't taken a huge leap of faith and asked for help. You see, over 22 years ago, my life was filled with fear and terror. I knew that there had to be more to life, so somehow, I humbly asked for help. This simple, yet profound, step has placed me on a long and winding pathway where I have been given the gift of recovery . My entire life journey has brought me to a place where I am wanting to share with others the opportunity to explore, empower and enrich their full spectrum life, which always includes death. Live Life, But Live Death Aware!