CEOLC Blog
Part of the Collaborative’s mission & vision is to re-educate people about the end of life. The negative perceptions of death in our culture can be transformed through understanding that we can live better by accepting the inevitable as a beautiful & essential part of life.
The D-Word...DEAD
Passed away. Passed on. Is deceased. Departed. Gave up the ghost. Didn’t make it. Lost her battle. Kicked the bucket. Breathed her last breath. Went to be with the Lord. Is in heaven. Was called home. Is in a better place… It seems that we will do anything to avoid saying the D-Word…DEAD. I see
Die? What FOR?
Think about it…from the time we are born we are taught to see life as a series of lily pads. Each pad is a temporary foothold which allows us to move on to the next pad. We study hard so we can progress from one grade to the next. We go to university so we
COVID and End-of-Life Midwifery
COVID changed everything. I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know. But, for each of us, the “everything” that was changed varied. I think that most of us experienced anxiety, loneliness, stress induced by lack of control, a shifting of relationship dynamics, boredom, and trepidation about what might come next. For me, there was
My COVID Lessons
Last year sucked. Can I say “sucked” in a blog? Never mind…I just did. And I meant it. Twenty-twenty will be a year that few will forget, no matter how we might try. Politics, social upheaval, and COVID were one-two-three body shots that left us gasping. Yet, we moved forward. It has been said that
End-of-Life Midwives Within the Prison System
I have been thinking about prison. Not that I have any plans to end up there. Just sayin’. But my Master’s degree is in criminology,* which explains why my mind often focuses on steely, slimy, uncomfortable topics…like prison. If you have never been to a prison, count yourself as lucky. They are no place you
Holiday Traditions Post-Tragedy
The Christmas after my little sister was murdered was…strange. Kait had been eighteen that July when she died. I was already in my thirties, living in a different state with a husband and two small children. Over the months that followed each of us struggled with how to deal with our shock and grief. I
Why Our Collaborative Is Imperative
I am not a joiner. My idea of hell was the Girl Scouts, which my mother signed me up for without consulting me first. I have friends who belong to book clubs and serve on meaningful committees. I honor both their interests and their work, but can’t imagine putting my tush in their seats. In
Seminary to Death Doula
It was back in 2016 when my best friend, Christine and I took a year-long seminary program, together, in Lafayette, CO, that we first heard the term “doula.” It’s certainly not a common, everyday word, and if you’re like most people, you may not be familiar with it, either. Several weeks into the program, we
More Collaborative Articles
Collaborative Spotlight - Virtual Care and Support
Winter 2021
The year 2020 taught us that we must learn to adapt how we provide care and support as end-of-life doulas. Like many other professions, we find ourselves adapting to providing our clients with virtual services via telephone and video calls.
Member Spotlight - Valerie Nicholas
Winter 2021
Valerie has always had an affinity for working with older adults, and she attributes this calling to her loving and influential grandparents. Valerie has been a life-long professional working with older adults and has devoted herself to end-of-life care as a hospice volunteer, life-cycle celebrant, and end-of-life doula.
Affiliate Spotlight - Be A Tree Cremation
Winter 2021
Like many in this work, Emily Nelson stumbled into death care before it developed into a deeper calling. She was exposed to death early and often in her younger years, starting with the loss of her birth mother as a small child, followed by grandparents, and then the loss of a close friend to war during college.
Community Spotlight Colorado End-of-Life Options Act
Winter 2021
We’ve done the research for you! So, for everything you want to know about the Colorado End of Life Options Act, this Community Spotlight is FYI with FAQs and links to more resources and information. If you have more questions or would like to find an end-of-life doula who can offer care and support for those seeking medical aid in dying, search the Collaborative’s End-of-Life Doula Directory.
Member Spotlight - Kerry Arquette
Fall 2020
Kerry is the secretary and co-founder of the Colorado End-of-Life Collaborative, as well as the proprietor of End-of-Life Midwife. She has authored several books and is regularly invited to speak and teach about her work as an end-of-life doula, as well as a victim’s specialist for the Denver Police Department. Her most recent book, War Cries: Unheard Voices, Unmarked Graves, is a beautifully haunting collection of poems that give voice to the stories of many people much like ourselves who died during WWII. CEOLC is proud to feature her article, “Why Our Collaborative Is Imperative,” as we launch our new Collaborative Blog. Find out more about Kerry in this month’s Member Spotlight.
Collaborative Spotlight - 501(c)6 Non-Profit Status
Fall 2020
CEOLC Announces 501(c)6 Non-profit Tax Exemption Status – The CEOLC received its tax exemption status from the IRS! We are now officially a 501(c)6 non-profit membership organization, technically falling into the category of “business league.”
Affiliate Spotlight - Sustainable Funeral
Fall 2020
We are proud to shine the spotlight on our friend and affiliate member, Ed Gazdova of Sustainable Funeral. His patent-pending Alkaline Hydrolysis 2.0 and New Life Chamber offer an ecologically sound and sustainable end-of-life option. Find out more about Sustainable Funeral’s aqua cremation method in this month’s Affiliate Member Spotlight.
Community Spotlight - Rocky Mountain Life-Cycle Celebrants
Summer 2020
Offering personalized ceremonies for every occasion, these local folks co-create with you unique ceremonies to honor your milestone moments. Weddings, funerals, baby naming/welcoming, blessings, you name it! From birth to earth and everything in between, these celebrants can craft a ceremony that reflects your story and matches your personality.
Collaborative Spotlight - CEOLC Launches New Website
Summer 2020
This new website is the product of a dream to unify a community of professional end-of-life (EOL) doulas who work to empower & support one another, rather than compete with each other. We are always stronger together! Not only does this dream bring EOL doulas together, it includes many local affiliate businesses & organizations, our community & the end-of-life industry. This new model of collaboration instead of competition has the potential to change the way we collectively think & feel about death & dying—the way we live our lives to die well when that time comes.
Affiliate Spotlight - Laura Walker, Writer
Summer 2020
As a freelance writer, editor, website designer, and business marketing and communications consultant, specializing in strategy planning and writing, Laura Walker is also a flexible, quick learner and teacher who can provide many other skills and talents. She is proud to be the designer of the CEOLC website!
Member Spotlight - Cindy Kaufman
Summer 2020
Cindy is the president and co-founder of the Colorado End-of-Life Collaborative, as well as the proprietor of HeartSpeak End-of-Life Companioning. She is regularly invited to speak and teach about what it means to be an end-of-life doula. Her most recent book, The Mortal’s Guide to Dying Well: Practical Wisdom from an End-of-Life Doula, was released in May 2020. Visit Cindy’s website to see more articles, publications and interviews.