As an End-of-Life Doula, I re-learned to be okay with not knowing. It meant not to be attached to having a ready answer or needing to be in control so that I could be available and flexible for whatever came up when companioning a dying person and the people that surround that person. As someone who shows up early, carries just-in-case cash and has done all the extra credit assignments in school, being prepared and having a plan is good but also, having an open mind for the unexpected can allow for opportunities. Not always easy, I have built-in biases, but it is magical, to gain another perspective, to be in the present moment without looking back or in anticipation of what’s next. Some call this ​“The Beginner’s Mind.” I think of it as the excitement of meeting someone new. 

Cartoon: The New Yorker