beyond directives
Let’s talk about what matters to you
... your life, your choices, your legacy.
About
beyond directives
As we enter adulthood we are often reminded to have “our affairs” in order, "just in case." Lawyers draft our wills and health care proxies, we secure life insurance policies and plan financially to ensure that loved ones are safe. While legal and financial planning is an essential part of being prepared, often we are left with a lingering sense that there has to be more to end of life than the "business" of dying. What am I missing?
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beyond directives speaks to what truly matters in our lives. Our relationships, our experiences, and the impact we've made on our communities is our legacy. Traditional end of life planning can overlook these vital aspects of our being.
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The good news is that End of Life planning is evolving, and we now have the opportunity to plan in a way that will honor and acknowledge ALL of who we are.
Talking about death ...
As a society, we spend nine months talking in-depth and planning in detail for births. We envision what the birth of our children will look like, creating birth plans and packing bags, anticipating their arrival. We plan lavish celebrations where family & friends come together in joy.
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What would it look like if we showered the same reverence to the experience of dying?
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If we talked about death, demystified death, and celebrated death for what death is-the other bookend of life-would death, and dying, be more comfortable to talk about? The answer is, YES!
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In welcoming a conversation about death, we are able to explore different domains that speak to who YOU are,
what YOU value and what is most important to YOU at end of life.
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When we acknowledge death as a certainty of life and plan for it, it creates space within us to live a fuller more authentic life.
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Let's start the conversation!
End of Life Coaching
End of Life Doula
Why I choose
end of life work
My coaching journey began around twenty years ago when I was asked to be a "mom birth coach" for several close friends. At each birth, I marveled at the extraordinary gift of helping a new life come into the world.
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​My first experience seeing death up close was when I was in my early thirties and my Grandmother was at the end of her life.
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My aunt, my dad and I came together and ushered her out of this world in a profoundly loving, kind and supportive way that would forever be part of my being. While hospice assisted with end of life medications, we held a loving vigil during her final days.
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With lights dimmed, my aunt sang, and spoke gently to her as she smoothed her brow and reassured her that "she had nothing left to do, and it was okay to let go."
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My dad played her beloved Steinway for hours. I massaged her hands that had always been manicured and brushed her soft gray hair that was always well coiffed. I remember telling myself that she would have wanted to die as she lived, and that was looking good! I shared memories with her, told her I loved her and promised to keep her spirit alive with my children.
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And she died peacefully, surrounded by love. In that moment and in the days, months and years that followed, I remained in awe of the death experience and knew that it would forever shape my life. Decades later, I enrolled in The Conscious Dying Institute and became an End of Life Coach and Sacred Passage Doula, thus
seeding my vision for beyond directives.
Working with Nancy ...
Contact Nancy
End of Life Coach & Doula
WEBSITE: www.beyond-directives.com
For complimentary consultation