4 Words I Am Re-Examining in My Death Midwifery Practice

When I consider the times that my deathwork has felt most out of alignment (i.e. I feel like I wasn’t showing up the way I hope to), there is usually at least one of these words present. While I could just pledge to eliminate these words from my vocabulary, that is only part of the struggle. These words (coach, trauma, should, suffering) also indicate a mindset that I tend to turn to when I am not my most balanced and grounded self. In those times, I am desperate for control and want to understand so I can help or fix. Though this is my tendency, it is not my goal for my death midwifery practice and I need to constantly remind myself to shift back in to my calling, my presence and my companionship. Those are the heart of my work and I can not show up fully to do those things when I am trying to label or help or fix anyone else’s experience with death.

What do you think about my relationship with these words and my re-examination of their place within my death midwifery practice? Are these words triggering me uniquely? Do you have your own words? Do you have a different understanding of these words?