Grief is deeply personal; no two people experience it exactly alike. What comforts one may not resonate with another. The journey through loss is rarely predictable. Yet there is comfort in discovering that our questions, emotions and struggles in grief are not ours alone. This book explores four parts of loss: Grieve, Cope, Hope and…
“Horrifically peaceful.” That’s how Richard Bodini, pastor at Heritage Fellowship Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in Brampton, Ontario, describes being present with a person passing from life to death through Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). “Going from having a conversation with the person to praying over their cold body in a matter of moments,” he says,…
It is a good habit, even a spiritual discipline of sorts, to make careful provisions for the end of one’s life. Especially people with dependents should have a will and other documents in place in case they pass away unexpectedly. For me, the cold winter months seem like a good time to do some updating…
For her birthday, I am buying Betsey a trip to Iqaluit to visit our daughter. The ticket money, which is considerable, will come from an annuity that my Aunt Harriet bought for me decades ago and which we have now cashed in. You could say that the old annuity has been redeemed. Rather a pregnant…
I see dead people – a lot. As a classically trained anatomist with a passion for cadaveric dissection, my context for that famous line from the 1999 film The Sixth Sense is far more literal. I have spent the last 15 years of my career regularly working with deceased bodies (specifically, cadavers) to teach aspiring…
Blessed (greatly honoured) are the mourners. (Matt. 5:4) Some time ago, I told a friend that I often do the children’s message in my church. My friend said, “Oh, I hope that the stories you tell are always happy because children shouldn’t have to feel sad.” Last August I was very sad. I attended the…
In the days surrounding the funeral of my dear wife, Carina, I was encouraged by a steady stream of guests, casseroles, flowers and notes. As I prepared to return to an empty house in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a close friend from childhood and his wife offered to accompany me back home. For a few days…
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