According to news reports, Nicole Kidman is training to be a ‘death doula.’
This is clearly a strange expression—and an even stranger idea.
It appears that a ‘death doula’ is someone, said Kidman, whose role is simply to sit with someone, to provide comfort and presence during the last hours, or days, of their life.
According to these news reports death doulas, are non-medical professionals who support people in the final stages of life.
Their role is not to replace doctors, nurses or palliative care teams, but to complement them.
The expression comes from Greek.
The Greek word ‘doula’ originally meant ‘a slave or bondswoman’ but it changed over time.
‘Doula’ came into English around 1969 to mean: ‘A person, originally and typically a woman, who gives assistance to a new or expectant mother, either informally or professionally; especially a person (usually without formal obstetric training) employed to provide guidance and continuous support during labour or postnatally’ (Oxford English Dictionary).
Now the expression has been applied to the other end of life—creating this idea of a ‘death doula.’
The question that occurs to me is: why is such a person necessary?
I suspect one reason is the decline of Christianity.
For Christians there will always be a priest or pastor or minister available to provide spiritual guidance, support and care at the end of life.
In hospitals there is usually a chaplain available to do that.
But for those people who have spent their lives ignoring God and have turned their backs on Christianity—what do they do?
Well, I suppose they invent a substitute—rather like those ‘civil’ marriage celebrants who are so common these days.
And that secular substitute is, it appears, called a ‘death doula.’
One other thought—isn’t this role (support and care at the end of life) the traditional role of family members?
But does the very existence of a ‘death doula’ tell us that families are no longer there for each other?
Just asking.
Tonight, I will join Phil O'Neil (filling in for the holidaying John Stanley) on 2GB, 4BC, 2CC and the Nine Radio Network for 'The Word Clinic' -- right after the 10pm news. This is your opportunity to text or call with your thoughts on words and language.
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BOOKS:
* My latest book is called Pray Like This. To look at prayer I do what I do in these Ozword columns: I go through the most famous prayer in the world (The Lord’s Prayer, also known as the Our Father) and unpack it word by word—each chapter being a short word-study on a key word in that prayer. There is a total of 21 words studies in all. To find out more, here’s a link to the publisher’s website (where you can buy a copy if you wish): Pray Like This – matthiasmedia.com.au
* My book is Sherlock Holmes: 5-Minute Mysteries -- containing 50 new stories I have written about the great detective. You can find it on Amazon. Just go to Amazon and type in Sherlock Holmes: 5-Minute Mysteries in the search panel. Or use this link: h Amazon.com.au : Sherlock Holmes 5-Minute Mysteries Kel Richards
* My book "Defending the Gospel" is now in a second, fully revised, edition. You can find it here: Defending the Gospel – matthiasmedia.com.au
* If you're looking for my recent book "Flash Jim" you'll find it here -- Flash Jim, The astonis
hing story of the convict fraudster who wrote Australia's first dictionary by Kel Richards | 9781460759769 | Booktopia
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BY THE WAY...
If you'd like to see my A-Z list of Aussie slang, you'll find it here in the Australian Geographic website -- A-Z list of Aussie slang. Here’s the link: The A-Z of Aussie slang - Australian Geographic
The liveliest part of this website is usually the Q and A page -- be sure to check it out from time to time.
