I wish this entire website could be an inspiring, triumphant climb from grief to glory. I wish I could promise that the path from pain to healing will be a smooth journey peopled only by wonderful companions along the way. I wish I could tell you that love always wins, that people are always kind,…
My husband died in the early morning and by the afternoon, word was out (bad news travels faster than good news I can assure you!) Later that day I received a message from someone I knew that went something like this: “Hi Allison, so sorry to hear about Peter. My husband Fred was diagnosed with…
Many years ago, I went to a collegial gathering in a beautiful retreat centre by the ocean. Our time together was meant to be a time of peace and renewal – a getaway from all the stresses and strains of ministry. But the day before I was to depart, I received the most devastating news…
It took me a long while to accept an invitation ‘out’ (even with a girlfriend) into a social situation. As any single person can tell you, it’s a couples’ world and being the odd one out at a table full of people with their partners can feel pretty uncomfortable, especially when you’re grieving. It’s even…
In life, we often describe our partner as our ‘other half.’ “I want you to meet my other half.” “We’re getting together after work – bring your other half.” Some of us may even have been referred to as ‘my better half;’ I know I certainly was on a regular basis! This feeling of finding…
Every family has a way of doing things. We get the tree a week before Christmas. I pack the cooler, you pack the car. You do the turkey, I do the stuffing. I wash, you dry. We alternate holidays between your family and mine. I go out with the kids for Halloween, you stay home…
Music I heard with you was more than music,And bread I broke with you was more than bread;Now that I am without you, all is desolate;All that was once so beautiful is dead. Your hands once touched this table and this silver,And I have seen your fingers hold this glass.These things do not remember you,…
In theological school, we studied the history and meaning of so many religious terms. Forgiveness, karma, ahimsa (do no harm), ubuntu (I am a person only through other persons), redemption, contemplation, and my favourite ‘dark nights of the soul.’ (It’s a great help when you’re feeling low; you’re not depressed, you’re having a “dark night…
My husband died at home, in our bed, in my arms. Of course, he also lived his life in our home, in our bed, in my arms. When we made the decision to have him at home in his final weeks (and I know we were fortunate to be able to do so) his doctor…
Birthdays, Anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, graduations, weddings, the arrival of children and yes, even funerals – these and dozens of other ‘special days’ loom large in our human living. These are the days where we come together as family, friends and as part of the larger …