By A Departing Light: Growing Through Grief

I tell the story of my wife’s illness and death vividly but heart warmingly too. I identify life lessons through the experience and how we both drew upon the grace of God. Chapters include, ‘Hanging on to Hope.’ We were all set to retire and our plans were fully formed. We were in retirement mode and excited about the future when suddenly this vicious disease changed everything in a moment. None of those well honed plans would be fulfilled. What is the point of prayer in the face of death? Are miracles possible? What to do in the heartbreak of brain cancer. These are some of the questions I try to answer with honesty and sensitivity in the light of my own experience. St Jerome said, ‘the glory of God is the human person fully alive.’ That echoes the words of Jesus in John 10:10. My wife Barbara was always full of life. Even when life was leaching away she awoke every morning and chose life. She lived as fully as she could for as long as she could and left a radiance behind. For the bereaved - when you say ‘yes’ to life, life will say ‘yes’ to you.