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In the last few years, we have undoubtedly been experiencing a kind of Nicole Kidman-aissance. It\u2019s not that she wasn\u2019t already iconic, but since taking on the role of Celeste in Big Little Lies<\/em>, she has transcended her own stardom, becoming embedded in our everyday pop culture in ways that we could have never imagined. Consider Babygirl<\/em>, or the now-legendary AMC Commercial where Kidman exclaims \u201cSomehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this.\u201d Her new modus operandi is to make sure to keep us on our toes at all times; we\u2019ll never know what she\u2019ll say or do next.<\/p>\n During a recent talk at the University of San Francisco, the actress revealed that she has been training in the art of becoming a death doula, an idea that occurred to her while she was dealing with her mother\u2019s ailing health and eventual passing in May of 2024. \u201cShe was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide\u2014between my sister and I, we have so many children and our careers and our work\u2026 Wanting to take care of her because my father wasn\u2019t in the world anymore,\u201d she was reported as saying<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s when I went, \u2018I wish there was these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n As she soon discovered, those people do exist, and they are known as \u201cdeath doulas\u201d or \u201cdeath midwives,\u201d echoing the name of the people who have traditionally done the work of helping mothers bring babies into the world. The International End-of-Life Doula Association defines a death doula as \u201ca nonmedical companion who provides support\u201d and \u201cadvocates self-determination, and imparts emotional, spiritual, and practical care\u201d to allow the person to die with dignity. It is a job whose benefits and impact can be felt by both the dying person and the loved ones who are taking care of them.<\/p>\n