Drift Away
“Some people don't say goodbye. They sing it.”
Grounded.
Real stories from the edge of life.
From a hospice chaplain. Stories, tools, and presence for caregivers, the dying, and the people who love them.
Why Grounded exists
The edge of life has a lot to teach the rest of it.
I've been a chaplain in the ICU, on a behavioral health unit, and through the COVID pandemic. Today I work in hospice. Different rooms, same edge: the moments when life gets real and people need someone to stay.
In those rooms, people stop pretending. They say what matters. They forgive, or they wish they had. They find out what they actually believe. I've watched families come apart and come together. I've watched strangers become the only people in the room who mattered.
Most people never get to see that until it's their turn. Grounded exists so you don't have to wait. It's the stories I carry home, the tools I wish every family had, and presence for the moments you shouldn't face alone.
Stories
Real moments from the edge of life, and what they teach the rest of us. A new one every Wednesday.
Read the storiesTools
Free practices for the whole person. Soul Tree for a checkup, Tending the Garden for twelve weeks of growth.
See the toolsPresence
Ceremonies, end-of-life support, grief and caregiver support, and speaking.
Work with meWho Grounded is for
Normalize hospice
Hospice is not giving up. It is care, comfort, and often some of the most sacred days a family will share. People should know that before they need it.
Sit with people in crisis
The ICU, the psych unit, the waiting room at 3am. No one should face the worst night of their life alone.
Support caregivers
Family caregivers and the nurses, aides, and staff who hold everyone else. They carry more than anyone sees, and they deserve someone in their corner.
Care for the bereaved
Grief does not end at the funeral. Grounded is a place to keep walking with the ones left behind, for as long as it takes.
Honor life's thresholds
Weddings, blessings, and new beginnings are edges too. They deserve the same care as the hard days, built around the people in them.
Stories
Real stories from the edge of life.
Honest, specific, and sometimes funny. Start with one of these, read right here. A new story every Wednesday morning.
The Recovery
What happened after mattered more than the mistake.
“Not the mistake. The recovery.”
Grounded in Coffee.
“Sometimes the mess itself becomes part of the medicine.”
The Atypical Atheist
How one visit broke through years of religious distrust
“I believe in God, or something. I just cannot stand the church crap.”
See All Stories
Free in your inbox. Subscribe to Grounded.
Tools
Tools for the whole person.
Free tools built from real chaplain work, for anyone who wants to care for their whole self, or help someone else do it.
Free · Live now
Soul Tree
A checkup for the whole person, from root to fruit. Six parts of one tree, a personal care plan with step-by-step practices, and a practitioner mode for chaplains and caregivers.
Start Your Checkup
Free · Live now
Tending the Garden
A 12-week whole health practice for anyone. Seven beds, three seasons, and a garden that grows every day you tend it, with a practitioner mode for chaplains and caregivers.
Plant Your Garden
About
Hi, I'm Chris Joy.
I'm a chaplain. I've served in the ICU, on a behavioral health unit, and as a COVID chaplain. Today I work in hospice, where most days I sit with people in their final weeks and months, and with the families who love them. I listen, I pray when I'm asked to, and I get a front row seat to some of the most honest moments a person will ever have.
I hold a master's degree in seminary and theology. Before chaplaincy, I spent years in graphic art and print production, which is why I can't help building things. Grounded is my independent work: the stories I carry home from the bedside, tools to help people care for their whole selves, and presence for life's biggest transitions.
No easy answers. Just real stories, and what they can teach the rest of us about how to live.
Chris
Work With Me
Presence for life's hardest and holiest moments.
Whether you're planning a ceremony, sitting with someone who is dying, or looking for a speaker who knows this ground firsthand, I'd be glad to talk.
Officiant for Life's Meaningful Transitions
Funerals, memorials, and celebrations of life, as well as weddings, vow renewals, blessings, and other milestones. Every ceremony is built around the people in it: their story, their faith or lack of one, and what they need the day to hold.
Funerals & memorialsCelebrations of lifeWeddings & vow renewalsBlessings & milestones
Ask About a Ceremony
End-of-Life Support
Private presence for people who are dying and the families who love them. Vigil sitting, honest conversation, prayer when it's wanted, and help creating an end-of-life plan: who's in the room, what it sounds like, and what matters most.
Vigil sittingEnd-of-life planningFamily supportLife review & legacy
See what this can look like in Birth Plan.
Ask About SupportSpeaking & Training
Talks and trainings for hospices, funeral homes, churches, and healthcare teams. Real stories, practical tools, and room for the hard questions about grief and presence.
Spiritual care at the end of lifeGrief debt & caregiver burnoutCompassion without burning outWhole person care with Soul Tree
Ask About Speaking
Grief & Caregiver Support
One-on-one support for caregivers carrying more than they can say, and for people finding their way after a loss. A limited number of spots, so we can go slow and go deep.
Family caregiversLife after a lossCare professionals
Ask About Support
Coming soon
Workshops
Small-group workshops on grief, presence, and caring for the whole person. Subscribe to hear when they open.
Reach out for rates and availability. Every situation is different, so let's talk.
Contact
Reach out.
Questions, ceremonies, speaking requests, support, or a story you want to share. I read every message.