Beacons of Change
by Jeri Glatter
Sitting on the oversized rattan chair on my back porch one sultry August evening, I feel a deep sense of comfort. The warm air envelopes me as I watch the pulsing, glowing, bioluminescent lights emanating from the fireflies in their mid-air dance. Each one serves as a beacon, alerting me to their presence. Collectively, the fireflies serve as an announcement: summer has arrived. I think too of the upcoming launch of the INELDA Doula Directory and see a symbolic parallel to the fireflies. This may seem to be a bit of a stretch—but stay with me for a few more lines.
When I look out into the open field of end of life care, I am comforted by the knowledge that end of life doulas are becoming a known entity. The number of INELDA trained doulas is growing rapidly, more people are learning about our work, and every day we receive requests from people seeking support by doulas. So, here is the parallel to my experience of the fireflies: each doula is an additional beacon of light announcing the expanding growth of the movement toward a new perspective on caring for the dying. This movement is occurring within the context of our history as a country, as a society, and as a world that has held too tightly to a medical model of dying. We are being given a voice to choose what matters most to us, discover meaning, and to decide what a good death means for each one of us.
By the time you receive this newsletter, the Doula Directory will be active on our website. The INELDA directory is an important resource for people wishing to locate doulas. It is the first public tool that enables the dying, and their friends and family, to find doula support. The Directory lists independent practitioners that have completed the INELDA End of Life Doula Training. Collectively this group of doulas brings me a sense of comfort, because their growing number tells me that INELDA is living up to its vision of changing the face of dying.
The directory is a functional database with a search engine, allowing a search by state, zip code, or country. This first version of the Directory is only the beginning—the directory will expand to include an ever greater number of doulas, and with that, a more expansive reach. In the future, we will be adding additional searchable fields, such as one that lists areas of specialty for each individual doula.
With the launch of our Doula Directory INELDA continues to lead the way forward. Our increasing program development at hospices, hospitals, communities, and care facilities offers more evidence that we are entering a sultry season of growth and change. Welcome doula fireflies to your Doula Directory. May you illuminate the darkness that has characterized dying in our society up to now.