People facing uncertainty rarely expect perfect answers. They want someone who listens, who communicates honestly, who can simplify complexity, and who isn't afraid to stay present when conversations become difficult.

When I was seven years old, my mother died. 

While her death was not unexpected, it was still earth-shattering. I kept moving forward, but I also learned how uncomfortable our culture can be with conversations about death and grief. People desperately wanted to help, yet so many simply didn't know what to say.

I still remember the countless well-intentioned adults who told me my mother was "in a better place." Even as a child, I couldn't understand how there could be a better place than here, raising her daughter. They were trying to offer comfort, but what I needed most wasn't an explanation.

I needed someone who was willing to sit with my grief.

Twenty-five years after losing my mother, I lost my brother. Two years later, my father died. More than a decade after their passing, I still carry what it feels like to wish for one more conversation, one more phone call, or simply one more chance to be present.

Along the way, I have also experienced the deaths of grandparents, close friends and beloved pets, each one reinforcing that grief is not something we simply "move on" from. It changes shape over time, but it remains part of the stories we carry.

For many years, I avoided conversations about death altogether. Eventually, I realized something important.

Avoiding these conversations doesn't protect us. It simply means we're often forced to have them during moments of crisis, when emotions are highest and time feels shortest.

Then, in an unexpected moment, I learned about end-of-life doulas while watching an episode of The Pitt. I had never heard of the profession before, but as I learned more, something immediately clicked. It brought together so many pieces of my life: my experiences with grief, my belief that conversations about death should happen before a crisis, and more than twenty years spent helping people navigate difficult conversations with clarity and compassion.

That discovery led me to complete my end-of-life doula training through INELDA, become a certified grief coach and create Presence & Passage, combining my personal experiences with my professional communication expertise to help individuals, families and organizations navigate serious illness, caregiving, grief and end-of-life experiences with greater confidence, compassion and connection.