Monthly Newsletter | June 2024

To Our Beautiful Community...

Donegal, Ireland

I am a true novice when it comes to grief.

My son got married at the end of April and it came with all the expected emotions: anticipation, excitement, happiness, joy and love. However, the emotion of sadness and deep heart ache after all the weekend's events ended caught me by surprise. My son is 36, and eighteen years ago when he left for college, I felt so much excitement and joy for him and what he was about to embark on. It felt like it was the natural transition. It was right for him, and for me. We were in the middle of the teen years and the aliens that had taken my sweet young boy, had not quite given him back to me in any semblance of that previous iteration of him. I remember feeling sad, and realizing that my grocery list would change, but overall, I felt happy for him, and my two daughters were still in the home, lots of mothering left to do.

So where is all the sadness coming from? He has been out of the home for 18 years; he has become a successful, contributing member of society and possesses many positive attributes. I adore his new wife and am thankful that he chose her to tend his heart. They have been living together in a town just one and a half hours away, we see them frequently. Nothing to be sad about here, and yet the tears began as soon as he and his wife left our house to return home after the wedding. Yes, I had hoped that they would stay one day longer to decompress all of the activities of the weekend, and yes, there was the letdown of having been so busy planning and all of a sudden it was over. These tears felt different though and my heart was the location of all the pain. I was experiencing true heart ache and it was not comfortable! ...CONTINUE READING THE FULL STORY ON OUR BLOG!

With Gratitude,

Wenda Clinard

♥

"When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight."

KAHLIL GIBRAN

We have SO MANY exciting learning opportunities coming this summer!

Conscious Dying Coach &

End-of-Life Doula

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

The foundation for your personal exploration of death, and training in the "Best Three Months" model of coaching and care. Support individuals and their families through one of life's most profound transitions.

LEARN MORE

The Dementia Journey

Working with what people have left... Not what they've lost. This course will assist you in building your end-of-life education and dementia knowledge through Dementia Care Principles, and empowering you with foundational skills.

LEARN MORE

Pediatric Death

Through this 4-week offering, we will dig into stories of pediatric death and we'll introduce you to the benefits of Pediatric Palliative Care. Together, we will examine the complexity of family dynamics and the sibling experience, and explore the breadth and depth of grief for bereaved families.

LEARN MORE

Practices For Death

Ancient and Modern, Faith-based and Secular - explore practices for death from different traditions and cultures. Practices for death help create a healthy relationship with our mortality so we may be more ready and less fearful when death comes.

LEARN MORE

Grace & Grief Vigils

Join us for these complementary monthly gatherings where we will tend the hard parts of our personal and collective grief through the soft expression of intentional space, guiding invocations, imaginal activities and tender closings.

June's Theme: The Grief of Living in a Patriarchal Society

RSVP

Meet Lena Wenzel, End-of-Life Doula and Media Professional!

Community connection is at the heart of what I do. My passion for photography and design allows me to expertly work with clients to execute beautiful visions with meaningful content. With this creative endeavor, I hope to capture legacy projects by way of recording clients and their families with their vision, showcasing their unique stories while collaborating on visual and audio projects. As a native of Colorado with a diverse and rich background, from design and architecture to senior care and serving in the Peace Corps, I came to doula work having a profound experience with my grandparents during their transitional end-of-life process. During my Peace Corps service, I was interested in how other culture's view and value dying as an integral part of everyday life. From these unique experiences, I embrace living, including the dying process. These contributions and engagement in service shape the way I walk with others in their individualized end-of-life evolution. With my background and giftings, I can support families and individuals in their acceptance and sometimes beauty of death. I believe working with the dying, as a witness to what is unfolding, is a great honor, privilege, and a deeply sacred calling.

As a certified End-Of-Life Doula, and videographer, it is an honor to participate in co-collaborating with someone's unique story by way of a special digital media production projects. Thinking outside the box and coming up with viable solutions for clients in documenting legacy projects is an important role, a bridge-builder between client, family members and end-of-life care practitioners.

"My dream is to be a part of something larger than myself. Using my creative skills in assisting others get their stories documented is a deeply rooted calling and specialized area which I am exploring in Doulaship and as a Media professional."