Setting It Aside

How I prepare for my work as a Death Doula

When I enter the space
I leave Me behind.
Quieting my mind I see my Stuff
All the mental distractions
My daily business
My defining qualities
My own grief.
None of these will serve this moment.
And so I see in my mind's eye
These personal pieces
Acknowledging each of them
I set them aside, inside my mind.
There, I have a spacious basket
On a smooth low wooden table by the door.
Colors are woven in a band around its side.
This, a safe space, is where I place my Stuff.
With this empty space in my mind
And in my heart
The feelings, words, silence have
A place to fill.
When  I release this Stuff of mine
I can create the safe and sacred space
To hold those who need
A companion on the journey from this life
A carrier, with them, of their grief
Of their memories
Of their essence.
I know that my own Stuff is where it needs to be
Ready for me to pick it up again.
When I am just Me again. 

12-29-2022

Photo by Shawn Celavie ❤️🇨🇦 on Unsplash