Kathie Powell

I'm sitting in the back of an Uber on my way to an appointment that took a full year to get. A routine medical thing, nothing life-threatening… but it’s at the university hospital. That hospital. And the moment we turned onto the road that leads to it, my body reacted before my mind even caught up. I begin my time travel. One minute I’m watching the city move past the window. The next, I’m three years back in time. December 29th, 2022. The drive we took with John. The one Rayna navigated...

Christmas changes after loss. Not because the holiday itself is different, but because we are. Because the seat that should never be empty is empty. Because the traditions we once loved now hold echoes of someone we can’t bring back. Joy feels complicated, and grief well, grief cares about holidays, trees, or twinkle lights too. It will show up. This is my third Christmas without him, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that each year truly does carry its own story. Year One : The...

Understanding the Final Stages of Life. What I've learned from the dying. One of the hardest truths I’ve learned, both as a wife and as an End of Life Doula, is that as people approach the end of life, their capacity for connection begins to fade. It’s not because they love us any less. It’s not because we’ve done something wrong. It’s because they are slowly turning inward, preparing to leave. For family and friends, this can be deeply painful. We might feel rejected or confused. They may...