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The Breath of Death ~ Personal Reflections on the Community Deathcare Movement
Author’s Note: I have contemplated writing this piece for some time but it hasn’t unfolded easily. I have been struggling this past year with the evolution (or perhaps erosion) of the community deathcare movement. Proceed with caution. If this article causes reflection, it has achieved its purpose. In the Beginning My introduction to what I
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Saying “I Do” Once Again~ Vow Renewals Part 1
I am a sucker for weddings. For as long as I can remember, I have always adored seeing a bride. I remember playing upstairs in our house or out in the back yard and hearing the telltale horn honking that a couple had just been wed. I would tear out to the sidewalk in a
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Protecting the Death Memory
I became a birth doula in 1998 and spent the next many years supporting women through labour, birth and the postnatal period as a birth and postpartum doula, prenatal educator and breastfeeding counsellor. As a fledgling doula, I had my own ideas as to what made a positive birth experience and did my best to
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Funerals Are for the Living
I attended a rural high school where all students were bussed in from neighbouring communities unless you were one of the cool kids and had your own car. The student and staff body was made up of farming families and small town folks. There was one memorable class that had a great impact on me.
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Rising Up After Betrayal
“You have seen my descent. Now watch my rising.” ~Rumi I like to think I have finely-tuned intuition. My close friends and family (especially my husband) would probably agree. I don’t have special powers, I just learned a long time ago that this deep knowing was not to be ignored………….EVER. Well, in the spring of
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So You Want Aunt Vera to Perform Your Marriage Ceremony ~Some Important Things You Should Know
The wedding ceremony is the kick off to the entire wedding day. Without it, there wouldn’t be anything to celebrate. Meaningful ceremonies can be simple and straightforward or they can be elaborate including elements like readings and rituals. Having family and friends take part in the ceremony is a wonderful way to include those who
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Earth, Fire, Water, Air
Preface by Julie Keon: This past fall, I was notified of an inspirational article that had been published in International Doula magazine (Vol. 23, Issue 3, 2015) that was written by a woman I met many, many years ago in Victoria, BC during my birth doula training. At the time of its publication, I was
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Reflections at 45
Stories……..they make up our life. Each one of us has a story and in my work as a Life-Cycle Celebrant, it is a big part of my job to listen to stories and then write the words I have absorbed into a meaningful ceremony. Celebrants are, in a nutshell, modern storytellers. Without the story, it
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#No Perfect Victim~ One Survivor’s Thoughts About the Justice System
I was recently contacted by a woman who asked if I would be open to giving her space on my blog to share the following piece of writing. I firmly believe that the truth does set us free. Speaking out about things that many can only think about takes tremendous courage. Sometimes the desire to
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Warriors We Remember
Yesterday, December 6th, marked the 26th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre; the day Marc Lepine walked into Ecole Polytechnique and consciously chose to murder 14 women whom he despised simply because they were women and because he perceived them as feminists. Each year, on this day, people gather at monuments to reflect, to light a