09/07/2024
It’s an odd thing to work in the field of caring for spirits in grief, loss, death and dying. A wonderful honor that I hold very tenderly, and yet for me it is a career and vocation, something I have spent years in training for and get paid a salary to do everyday. I sometimes wonder if this is truly a paid profession- a career in the tender field of dying and death? I hold this chaplaincy career choice and honor in healthy tension, which I also extend to my new passion project, With You Co, a company that offers gathered gifts for life’s ungathered moments.
This project is inspired by the thousands of people I have worked with who have lost a loved one or child in the hospital setting. For those who have had to say goodbye surrounded by people, like me, who don’t know them well, but know through training and years of experience how to walk intimate moments like these with compassion and support. I think about these families and loved ones who go home, perhaps to an emptier house, back to regular routines, yet themselves fundamentally changed. I wonder, what about when they go home? Who will give them the support they need? Will they be asked to tell stories? To offer rituals for mourning and loss? Will their physical needs be tended to or even their psycho-social or mental needs met?
I often have to remind myself that I cannot go with them, which at times, breaks my heart. My care for them cannot cross the physical walls of the hospital, though my love for them goes far beyond. And so, With You Co has emerged, to help those who care about someone who is experiencing transition or loss, but doesn’t know what to say or do. For the person who wonders if they missed the day of school where they taught about grief and loss (no you didn’t miss it, our society is very grief-adverse). For the coworker who just heard that their colleague’s spouse was just in a life-changing accident. My intention is not to capitalize on grief, but to educate on it, to provide a fuller system of support that extends beyond hospitals or churches. With You Co helps equip you to provide support to someone you know who is going through a challenging time; to give a tactile message of even through this difficult season, I am with you. And perhaps, together, all of us can help end the epidemic of loneliness and the culture of grief in our society.
If you’d like to receive the launch email with a special discount code, send me your email address or sign up at www.thewithyouco.com
With You, Torie ❤
Our online shop offers curated grief and transition gift boxes, a simple yet meaningful way to show your co-workers, loved ones, and community members that you care during life's toughest moments. With every purchase, you are not only offering comfort and support, but also contributing to our commit
