The First Breath, The Last Breath, and Everything In Between
Author’s Note
There are moments in life that shift how we see everything. Losing someone we love is one of them. This reflection came to me in the quiet that follows loss, a space I’ve come to know well through both my personal life and my work as a doula and coach. It’s about the threads that connect beginnings and endings, and the love that carries us through both.
The First Breath, The Last Breath, and Everything In Between
Recently, my family said goodbye to someone we love deeply.
Grief has a way of slowing everything down. Conversations soften, hands hold a little longer, and silence becomes its own kind of language.
In that space, I was reminded again of something I’ve witnessed many times before, both through my work as a doula and through my own life: birth and death are not opposites. They are reflections of each other.
When a baby takes their first breath, the room changes. There is awe, relief, and love so raw it feels almost holy.
When someone takes their final breath, it is strangely similar. The same stillness, the same presence, the same reminder that we are all just here for a moment in time.
I have had the privilege of standing at both thresholds, welcoming new life and holding space as life lets go. Each experience strips away everything that isn’t real. No one talks about the to-do list or the next big milestone. They talk about love, memories, connection, and meaning.
Both moments hold a mirror to what truly matters. Birth cracks us open in wonder. Death cracks us open in truth. And in both, love is magnified. People become their most authentic selves — open, vulnerable, and connected in a way that words rarely capture.
As we said goodbye to our loved one, I felt that reminder deeply: we arrive surrounded by love, and if we are lucky, we leave the same way.
These moments influence how I live and how I work.
As a life and business coach, my approach has always been shaped by what I have learned at these thresholds: that life is not about constant striving, but about alignment. About living in a way that feels honest and whole.
Whether I am supporting a client through a career transition, building a business, or navigating personal change, the same questions arise:
What really matters to you?
What would you do if you stopped performing and started living?
When you have seen how precious time truly is, success takes on a different meaning. It is no longer about doing more, but about being more present, more purposeful, more yourself.
Because the truth is, the first breath and the last breath are part of the same circle.
And in between them is our one chance to make it count.
A Gentle Invitation: If these reflections resonate with you, I invite you to join me for 28 Days to Clarity — a guided journey to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters. It’s an opportunity to slow down, find your footing, and realign your life and work with the person you are becoming.
You only get one life — make it one that feels like your own.
Join 28 Days to Clarity → JOIN HERE
