As an end-of-life doula, I walk alongside a dying person, providing support and comfort. These are some of the services I offer:
- Companionship
- Memory & legacy projects
- Assistance in letter-writing to loved ones
I am also a poet and editorial consultant, and I have helped clients create memoirs for their children and grandchildren. Questions? Concerns?
Please contact me at rosagodshall@gmail.com.
You Are Not Alone
I served as my mother’s end-of-life doula. After she passed away from colon cancer, she left behind her garden. Behind my house—interspersed with tomato plants, pineapples and winding dragon fruit—are bursts of bright cosmos flowers reaching for the sky. Mama loved cosmos. After she planted the first batch, they began to appear everywhere. Wherever they grow, I mow around them, letting the cosmos lead the way, creating little gardens of their own.
In The Final Act of Living: Reflections of a Longtime Hospice Nurse, Barbara Karnes writes, “There is really no such action as dying. […] We are either alive or dead. The space in between is called living. […] Life is a terminal illness. We are dying all the time. […] Time is a gift most of us take for granted. Someone living in an unhealthy body has had their future taken away. They are forced to live in the present.”
But we can choose to cultivate awareness and presence. We can choose to sense our bodies, our feet on the floor, our hands on the arm of the chair, and notice our breath. We can choose to meditate in the moment, to treasure each second, and to recognize the temporary nature of everything. Instead of being afraid, we can work to shape our destinies.
How do you want to be remembered? What is most important to you in this life?
How can I be of service to you?
Dedicated to My Mother, Ruby Lynn Holden
Cosmos Care is lovingly dedicated to my mother. In the final months of her life, I served as her death doula. My mother had a difficult life. As her sole caregiver, I am grateful I was able to assist her in her transition.
