09/02/2026
My birthday is coming up in a few days, and this year, it feels a little different.
My family is facing an unexpected and heartbreaking end-of-life situation with someone we love.
And even though Iโm an end-of-life doula, when itโs your own family, youโre still a sister, a wife, a daughter, a friend. Youโre still someone who loves deeply and wishes you had more time. ๐
It has made me think differently about my birthday this year.
๐๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ก๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ. ๐๐ก๐๐ฒโ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐โฆ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ.
Because life can change so quickly.
Sometimes we have time to prepare for goodbye. Sometimes we donโt.
And suddenly, the ordinary things donโt feel so ordinary anymore.
A conversation.
A laugh.
A favorite song.
An old story youโve heard a hundred times.
Sitting beside someone you love.
These are the moments that become precious.
So when my birthday comes, Iโll celebrate.
Not because Iโm excited about adding another candle to the cake. ๐
But because being here is worth celebrating.
The people we love are worth celebrating.
And another day together is never something I want to take for granted.
So bring the cake. Play the music. Tell the stories. Take the pictures. Say โ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ.โ
Not just on birthdays.
Whenever you have the chance. ๐
Because sometimes life reminds us, very unexpectedly, just how precious ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ really is.
And if your family is facing an end-of-life journey, please know that even those of us who do this work understand how deeply human and difficult it can be.
๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐. ๐๐๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ค.