Ruth McGill talks about death every day. She listens to her clients, all of whom are terminally ill, and helps them to decide where they might like to die – at home, in a hospice, or someplace else. She helps them to have conversations with family or loved ones that would otherwise be much more difficult or may be avoided altogether.
A Cheery Chat About Death?
Death is often viewed as tragic and traumatic, something to be feared or ignored until it makes its presence felt. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought death closer and made discussing end-of-life wishes more important than ever.
Ruth McGill, a death doula by trade, has a different idea about death than many people.
At age 15, she sat with her dying grandfather and had her first life-changing experience of watching someone dying. “It was profound, and not at all scary. I was welcomed there,” she said. This and her experience saying farewell to her mother is what helped her find her calling.
Besides being an actress and singer, as a death doula, Ruth is often referred to as a “soul midwife,” although she feels like what she does is so much more. She describes how her acting, singing, and voice coach work all tie in, in that they are about using your body – and listening to it, using your energy to find your voice, to connect with people, and helping them to find their
own voices too.
As a death doula and as an optimist, McGill typically takes a positive approach to death and dying. She believes that grief and joy and love are all part of the same spectrum. She believes we are grieving because we loved someone so much.
