08/20/2026
I made these slides 6 months ago for a service I really wanted to offer and never posted them.
The idea of a ‘rainbow crossing doula’ spoke to me, but I thought it was something people might find silly or unnecessary. I created tiers of special services, keepsakes I could make, all of it. But some ideas don’t always see the light of day.
Though, I have indeed gained a special expertise throughout my life that I did not ask to have, but I carry it with honor.
Last week, our 14 year old family dog had to be put to sleep. I have always been out of town when this happens, and finally, *finally* I got to massage her head to toe while her sedation set in, help the vet turn her, aid how I could, and love her to her last breath.
Then, I got the extreme honor of wrapping her in her blanket and laying her to rest, feeling the soil through my hands. It reminded me of my seemingly silly idea as I was there with her for someone that couldn’t be while making certain she was buried with every bit of dignity.
I’ve heard that it’s a usual occurrence in veterinary medicine that some pet parents just cannot be in that room during humane euthanasia. That it can be heartbreaking for the vet team, because they witness the dog or cat frantically searching the room for their human in their last moments.
And that’s okay. Many people cannot handle those moments. It does not make anything wrong with you.
Though for me: to be able to keep that rock steadiness, being able to ensure crossing the rainbow bridge is as peaceful as it could be, being there in someone’s absence that really wishes they could be there; it would be a humongous honor that I would happily do for any living thing.
After laying our dearest Aika in the ground, this became forefront of my mind again.
It seemed like such an odd thing to offer 6 months ago, but after that day last week, it felt right to at least check in—
If you feel like you ever wished this service existed or would want support if you were handling the passing of your best friend alone… please leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts. The pull to help others in this way is huge for me and I would be so grateful to do so. 🤍🌈