We caught up with the brilliant and insightful BECCA BROOKS a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

BECCA, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

No contest…. When I was 17, I read the book “Alive” by Piers Paul Read; the astonishing true story of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes Mountains and survived for 72 days eating their dead teammates.

One of the men who survived the crash; Nando Parrado; emerged from the odyssey as my personal hero. His skull was shattered during the initial crash; was in a coma and awoke miraculously three days later to discover they were stranded on a glacier at close to 14,000′; and that his best friend, his mother, and his 17-year-old sister had been killed in the crash. He eventually (with a teammate) scaled the summit of the range and hiked across the Andes for 10 days in search of help. Because of him, they were found and rescued. I have followed Nando for over 30 years; and he is my hero to this day.

A few years ago, I discovered Nando Parrado was doing his first public speaking engagement in over 20 years; so, my mother and I took a road trip from Houston to Lake Tahoe to attend the event. The evening of the engagement, we sat sat next to two older couples who were locals to Incline Village so we introduced ourselves and talked to them about our trip; why we drove all the way out there, and why Nando was so important to me. After talking for a bit, one of the ladies excused herself for a few minutes. Shortly after she returned with Nando’s PR Rep. The woman very kindly inquired if we were the ladies who drove all the way from Texas; and would we like to meet Nando now, before the show and in private. I was told to grab my copy of his book, “Miracle In The Andes” and my camera. And five minutes later, I was shaking my hero’s hand and speaking to him one on one. We spoke for over 10 minutes; he took photos with both my mother and I; signed my book; and even mentioned us during his speech.

I cannot accurately put into words the feeling of seeing him in person. Of shaking his hand. Of having that conversation with this man who faced so much adversity and trauma with such grace. When we walked back to our seats, the two couples who we were sitting with had the biggest smiles on their faces; and I knew it was because of them I got to meet my hero; and I broke down in tears (ugly cries, not cutesy!) The kind little woman told the event planner about me, and why I was there; she asked if there was any way I could meet him, and she made it happen. She didn’t know me; knew nothing about me; but went out on a limb and asked for the private meeting for me. She could never have known JUST how big a deal this was (and still is) for me. It has been the highlight of my life; and by far the kindest thing someone has ever done for me.

As a sidebar; I was even more fortunate to meet Nando four years later and speak to him again. He sat alone with me, and we spoke for over 30 minutes; and again, he held my hand while we spoke, he was gracious, patient, and so unbelievably kind. None of this would have ever happened if it were not for the unbelievable kindness of those strangers in Lake Tahoe. Things like this matter to me because it’s a timely reminder that there are good kind people left in the world. And there are people like Nando Parrado; who make you believe in miracles. We need kindness and we need miracles so badly right now.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I decided to put my acting and writing career on hold while I suffered from a bit of a midlife crisis. Four years ago, I had some very serious health and medical issues that came out of nowhere. It made me question my life and everything about it; made me take a long hard look at my current job and life trajectory. I came out the other side of my scare with a new respect for life, my family, and my own unknown strength.

I also knew I had more to give than what I was currently offering. I felt I was still alive for a reason, and yet I was foolishly squandering it. I needed something that was bigger than myself, something that would impact others, and make a difference in the lives of those I hoped to serve.

It took a couple years of sitting still, being quiet, and listening to the universe; but I found my true calling; to become an End Of Life Midwife; or a Death Doula.

Most people are afraid of the sick, the dying and naturally, of death itself. After my medical adventures, I no longer fear death. Don’t get me wrong; I do not want to die, and I am in no hurry to do so; but I am no longer afraid of The Great Beyond. And in my time of convalescence, I became fascinated with the Death and Dying Industry. I discovered Caitlyn Doughty, her IG page; The Good Death; her YouTube Channel, ‘Ask A Mortician’; and her hysterical -yet-respectful books on death and dying. I began reading into The Green Death Movement, alternative methods of body disposal and burial, at- home funerals and wakes, green burials; studies on grief and grieving; and books and documentaries on terminal illness, assisted suicide, and Death with Dignity.

Besides comfort and pain management, Dignity is the most important thing we can offer a terminal patient; My goal is to work in tandem with Hospice; to offer dignity and compassion in the patient’s final weeks and days. My role as an End of Life Coach is to educate the patient and their families on their options for passing in the manner they deem fit; and to give non-medical, holistic, logistical, practical, and emotional support to the dying and their loved ones as they transition and after.
Services will include respite care for caregivers; assistance in funeral planning, legacy projects; general care, comfort, and companionship to the Patient; vigil planning and overseeing; organizing wake/home viewing; and assistance with body care after death.

I took the courses and became certified two months ago; and I am in the process of getting my business up and running today. I am so proud of the work I have done and the services I will offer. I am excited to serve those truly in need.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing ideas that have knocked around my brain come to life and translate to paper and then to the screen. I’ve had stories in my mind since I was a small child; and as I grew and matured, so did the tales. The characters became 3-dimensional beings with lives of their own; they surprise me, go in directions I never planned; and usually end up deciding their own fates beyond anything I originally imagined. I become the chronicler of their tale.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Oh my gosh; there are so many books that have inspired and impacted me. Not necessarily in an entrepreneurial or philosophical way but in broader terms of positive impact and life lessons. Conservatively, there are 4 that are head and shoulders above the rest:

‘Dracula’ was the first novel I ever read. I was 11 years old and while I had been writing since I could legibly form letters; this book was the tinderbox for my imagination. It taught me how to create atmosphere, how minute details painted a fully fleshed out setting; how to create lush gothic stages and fascinating characters, AND it made me realize just how badass Texas really is! My favorite character in the book was the cowboy from Texas, Quincey Morris. I remember thinking how cool it was that an 19th Century Irishman writing a tale of a Romanian vampire and a bunch of stuffy British aristocrats decided to put a cowboy from Texas of all places in his masterpiece. We really do stand out!

‘Alive’ set the stage for my hero-worship of Nando Parrado. As I read that book at 17 years old, it dawned on me that several of the survivors from that crash were only a year or two older that I was at the time. I tried to imagine how I would react in their shoes; and it made me realize that while VERY BAD THINGS happened, the very bad were often interwoven with miracles. I saw the parallel in my own life as I was experiencing some very very bad things, but I was also living a miracle almost every day.

‘Miracle in the Andes’ dovetails ‘Alive’ as its Nando Parrado’s personal tale of the tragedy and his extraordinary life in the aftermath. I got to read more in depth about this phenomenal man. What he accomplished on that mountain glacier, and what he has accomplished in his life is nothing short of inspirational and miraculous.

‘Lone Survivor’ is another one that impacted me heavily. It stayed with me during my medical scares; and the words of Marcus Luttrell resonated in my head daily. ” No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets or no matter how far you fall, you are never out of the fight.”. Every struggle, every setback, every fear that came to pass, I would tell myself I was never out of the fight. And here I am today.

I owe my sanity during those dark days to Marcus Luttrell and Nando Parrado. Their bravery and their willingness to live to tell their tales kept me going.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bagpipegirl38/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/becky.moore1
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-moore-545876220/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/bagpipegirl38
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnGIowHUAyDZg9x_g-nohpg
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/insomniacfilm21

Image Credits
personal photo courtesy of Chris Hernandez Photo of Becca Brooks and Nando Parrado courtesy of Dale Hovel