(37/54) “The meeting was held in the office of the former speaker of parliament. He’d been executed four weeks earlier. It was an office I’d been to many times before. But everything beautiful had been removed: the paintings, the carpets, the furniture. In the center of the room was a single table, and at its head sat one of the leaders of the Revolutionary Council. It was the body ultimately responsible for deciding the fate of the regime’s enemies. My colleague groveled. He read a prepared statement. He thanked the man for his wisdom. He thanked him for allowing us to keep our salaries. Then when he finished his remarks, he motioned to me and said: ‘My colleague would like to say something.’ I was caught by surprise. I had nothing prepared. I could have just thanked the man. But when an injustice has been committed, I must speak. It’s part of my code. It’s something I hold as dear as my own spirit. Because if we don’t live our ideals—then they don’t exist. 𝘋𝘢𝘢𝘥. 𝘕𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘪. 𝘙𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪. Justice, Goodness, Truth. They depend on us. We are the ones who must make them real. They only exist when we are living them. Truth is not some abstract concept. Truth is something you say. Truth is something you do. No matter how great the fear, you must follow your code. You must stay true to your ideals. Because if you do not, that fear will stay with you. It will break you. Every day it will remind you: you weren’t who you thought you were. And I’m not ready to lose the rest of my life to a single moment. There was a burnt match lying on the floor next to my foot. I picked it up off the ground. I looked the man in the eye, and I told him: ‘Maybe you should be thanking us, for not allowing this injustice.’ Then I held the burnt match in front of my face. ‘Even if you’d asked,’ I told him. ‘I wouldn’t have given you this burnt match.’”

When I began my journey into deathcare I was merely following a tickle of a calling that eventually sparked a fire within me fueled by purpose and passion far greater than I could have ever imagined. The mission of my work and of Going with Grace has always been clear—to support people as they answer the question “What must I do to be at peace with myself so I may live presently and die peacefully?” What wasn’t always so clear was the road by which to get there. Growing a business in a field that is (although becoming less) taboo has been complex. Some days I felt clear and there was effervescence in my blood and other days I would cry and feel lost, wondering where I got the nerve to take on death. But excavating your gifts doesn’t have to be a strenous undertaking!! The things that helped me to keep on keepin’ on during those unclear times were staying curious, choosing to play, slowing down to listen to my intuition, and surrounding myself with some really rad deathy folks who remind me that I’m not alone. Gratefully, that community of deathworkers who are LIT all the way up about making a difference in the world is only growing and it’s one of the reasons we created the EVOLVE business course to bring you together for support and guidance. 🙌🏿 ✨Our next round of this 6-week intensive course begins in April and we cap each session at 15 students so if you’re interested, don’t wait to join in on the fun!✨ We share your vision. Now let us support you in bringing it to life while you do death. 💜💀 @gisellebuchanan