For someone who has dedicated most of their life to an inner contemplative journey focused on self-inquiry to arrive at their very essence, a biographical statement is a tricky endeavor. In writing this introduction, the first-person voice of 'I' is intended to reflect that inner essence of deeper sense of Self beyond a small, separate sense of self that recognizes the oneness and interconnectedness of all life.

This is at the heart of the spirit of care that I meet you with here and now.

The very fabric of life is in giving and receiving.

Growing up as I did in 1950's Little Rock, Arkansas, my awareness of perceived differences during this intense period of racial turmoil as public schools were being integrated was acute. During high school, I wasn't allowed on campus because I refused to stand for the school song "Dixie" which was played with the Confederate Flag, necessitating me to create my own curriculum and finish my degree by correspondence.

Consequently becoming an educator and international development activist, I brought my passion for curiosity and unity to live and work in over 45 countries where I continued to foster the appreciation that we have more in common than what sets us apart.

Our essence is something pure and unchangeable.
Over the course of my life, I have come to understand that living and serving from this ethic is within my DNA.

Being a death doula then, comes after a lifelong search for meaning and purpose, and for my role in the unfolding of human consciousness. My joy comes from serving people by providing the best possible conditions for a peaceful and serene death; helping another along the way, because we are all interconnected.

As someone who has been a Searcher since my teens and now considers themself a Finder, I consider the work of a doula -- the meditation off the meditation cushion -- the highest form of compassion in action.

Being a companion to others at end of life has naturally become a part of my life's course, which continues to evolve.