Navigating the Rippling Land of Grief: Reflections on the Journey

On January 6, 1999, the Feast of the Epiphany of the Magi and the official end of the Christmas season, instead of celebrating, I learned that my twenty-year-old daughter, Meg, had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. For me, who has a great deal of experience working with hospice patients and bereavement ministries, this news hit much closer to home. A writer, I decided to keep a personal journal to help me stay focused on navigating this now deeply personal journey.

As the days progressed and the family came together to support Meg in her final months, when words failed, I drew rough sketches to "picture" the journey. Trained as a counselor, I found both solace and inspiration coming from the pictures, as each emerged with a reflection question to be pondered on this often heartbreaking and truly unchartered road. Meg's road was obviously unique, but the questions posed through the drawings could and would be experienced by anyone.

Thus, the book expanded to not just another biography of a single event but as a beacon to others who have had to walk their own personal journeys. May this book be a blessing and beacon to others as they try to navigate the rippling land of grief.