Forces of Nature - End of Life Doula and Funeral Celebrant Services

03/28/2026

Wonderful resource!

03/18/2026

Love this concept for our families in facilities together at end of life! Hope to see this state side as well. https://www.facebook.com/share/1GfUVxgpVf/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Hospitals in the UK and Australia have begun offering cuddle beds to families with terminally ill loved ones, allowing them to stay close during their final moments. These beds allow family members to lie beside their loved ones, sharing comfort, closeness, and peace. This simple but powerful gesture provides a sense of serenity during an otherwise difficult time.

The introduction of cuddle beds challenges us to rethink what it means to provide care and comfort. Rather than focusing solely on medical treatments, this initiative offers emotional support by fostering connection during the most trying moments of life. It acknowledges that the emotional bond between family members is just as important as physical care.

This new approach to end-of-life care also demonstrates how humanity and compassion can guide even the most difficult decisions. It shows the power of shared moments and the profound impact they can have on both the patient and their loved ones. 🛏️❤️

03/11/2026

So beautiful 💜

The Exhale

It begins long before the last breath
Long before the room goes still
It starts in that first moment
when a diagnosis enters the air
and something inside you
quietly tightens.

From there, the waiting starts
You hold your breath without meaning to
through each update
each slow change
each “let’s see what tomorrow brings”
You learn the landscape of decline
by instinct
listening for shifts no one else hears
showing up again and again
because love holds you in place.

Caring for someone who is dying
creates its own rhythm
a steady, quiet bracing
for whatever comes next
It reshapes your days
your nights
your lungs
You try to stay ready
even when ready isn’t possible.

And then their last breath comes
Soft
Final
Not dramatic, just true.

But the breath that breaks you
isn’t theirs
It’s yours
That long, trembling exhale
you didn’t know you were holding
A release wrapped in relief
in grief
in the sharp ache
of a chapter closing.

We think the final breath
belongs to the dying.

But the truth is
the real ending is ours
the exhale that follows
the one that carries
the weight, the love, the loss
and the letting go.

That exhale…
our exhale
that’s the moment
it all becomes real.

xo
Gabby

You can find this poem here:
https://www.thehospiceheart.net/post/the-exhale

03/01/2026

Let’s be real about the facts folks, fear serves none of us…

There’s a lot of fear-based misinformation in posts like this, so watch me unpack it.

First: properly conducted green burials follow depth and soil standards designed specifically to support natural decomposition while protecting the grave site. Graves are typically dug to an optimal depth, around 3.5–4 feet to the top of the body, which allows for aerobic microbial activity, the same natural process that returns all organic matter to the earth, while maintaining structural stability of the soil above.

The idea that you’ll routinely “hear bones cracking” or feel dramatic collapse under your feet is simply not how soil mechanics work. As decomposition occurs, soil settles gradually over time. This can happen in any cemetery, conventional or green, and groundskeepers monitor and top off graves if minor settling occurs. It is not sudden, theatrical sinking.

As for scavengers: when burial depth and soil composition are correct, wildlife disturbance is extremely rare. Natural cemeteries are designed with these ecological realities in mind. Many are conservation-managed spaces with wildlife stewardship plans.

Odor: Decomposition odor is strongest during active decay, which occurs underground. Soil acts as a natural biofilter. If burial is done correctly, surface odor is not an issue. If someone experiences otherwise, that points to improper handling, not an inherent flaw in green burial.

Green burial isn’t shallow dumping. Green Burial is a carefully designed return to earth that predates modern embalming by thousands of years. Humans have been burying their dead naturally for all of history.

It’s okay to ask questions. It’s not okay to spread fear without understanding how the process actually works.

🌈

02/13/2025

💕 For those without their loved ones at the holiday - I see you and will hold space for the tender moments of remembrance you may need this week.

Many grieving people feel alienated by Valentine's Day, either because they've lost someone they love or because celebrating the day is a tonal switch their hearts can't maneuver. It's somewhat ironic because grieving people are often loving as hard, if not harder than they’ve ever loved before; it just so happens that the object of their love is gone in some way, shape, or form. 💔

Read the Article ➡️ https://whatsyourgrief.com/thoughts-on-valentines-day-grief/

11/28/2024

The holidays have a way of making grief feel heavier, whether this is your first year without them or your thirtieth.

I wanted you all to know that you are not alone… I am feeling it too. Sending you a little extra love and a hug if you want one. ❤️

xo
Gabby

10/05/2024

Not every loss can be transformed into something useful.

The reality of grief is different from what others see or guess from the outside. Platitudes and pat explanations will not work here.

There is not a reason for everything. Things happen that do not have a silver lining. We have to start telling the truth about this kind of pain. About grief, about love, about loss.

Because the truth is, in one way or another, loving each other means losing each other. Being alive in such a fleeting, tenuous world is hard. Our hearts get broken in ways that can’t be fixed.

There is pain that becomes an immovable part of our lives. We need to know how to endure that, how to care for ourselves inside that, how to care for one another.

We need to know how to live here, where life as we know it can change, forever, at any time. We need to start talking about that reality of life, which is also the reality of love.

Your survival in this life post-loss won’t follow steps or stages, or align with anyone else’s vision of what life might be for you. Survival won’t be found, can’t be found, in easy answers or in putting your lost life behind you, pretending you didn’t really want it anyway.

In order to survive, to find that life that feels authentic and true to you, we have to start with telling the truth. This really is as bad as you think. Everything really is as wrong, and as bizarre, as you know it to be.

When we start there, we can begin to talk about living with grief, living inside the love that remains.

For grief support & education resources visit refugeingrief.com and check out my first book, , available wherever you buy books. More info & ordering links at https://refugeingrief.com/book

04/16/2024

Happy National Healthcare Decisions Day!

NO, you DO NOT and SHOULD NOT wait until it is needed to put an Advanced Directive, Living Will or Healthcare Power of Attorney in place. I work with a national provider to guide you though completion of these critical documents and capture them electronically for you and your family to use when they are actually needed.

If you are interested in learning more, I will be offering this as a FREE service to those willing to help spread the word about the ease of the process and use of the platform. Your family will thank you for not leaving your wishes a mystery!

WHO IS INTERESTED? Drop me a private message on my personal or business FaceBook and we will schedule your appointment for completion!

12/25/2023

Being a part of the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance is a learning and rewarding opportunity for me and I am excited to see what 2024 will bring for us. A special thanks to our President Ashley Johnson for my beautiful new coffee mug which was a fun surprise in the mail yesterday! Happy Holidays everyone 💚❤️💚❤️

12/18/2023

Check out my latest blog...Don't forget about your furry friends when making plans!
https://forcesofnaturehealing.com/f/having-a-plan-for-your-furry-friends?fbclid=IwAR0m10XGMnUbFjUOYXn94ywB3S1Fyt03HGI76fva6YGAPsZZ9UWzPfRB0MM

Forces of Nature is dedicated to securing the future of your family, which includes our cherished four-legged friends.

12/07/2023

I have the honor of helping host some of the best of the best when it comes to end of life care this evening. If you’ve ever been curious about how or what it takes to become an end of life doula you will not want to miss this session. Free and open to the public!

One of the most frequently asked questions by those interested in end-of-life work is, "What end-of-life doula training program do you recommend?” At our virtual open house, six National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA) trainers will provide an overview of their training programs. You won't want to miss this opportunity. This event is open to members and nonmembers. Bring a friend!

Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81699775549?pwd=MmxjVnlCN1FyYkpxL2FJQXhWdEtBdz09

Meeting ID: 816 9977 5549

Passcode: 538349



Bridging Transitions Dr. Sarah Kerr, PhD - The Centre for Sacred Deathcare Going with Grace End of Life Planners HUMAN JOURNEY® (the-human-journey.com) International Doula Life Movement Narinder Elizabeth Bazen