Words of comfort may not be so comforting

Death is the big unknown in our lives. What is known and certain is that we, or at least our bodies, will die. But that’s where the certainty ends, for we don’t know for sure what happens after. As we grow older the reality of death looms ever closer – our parents die, our friends, sometimes our children. […]

What is death?

My spiritual guide and teacher, Rev. Dr. Elma Lumsden, made her transition on Sunday night. I celebrate this transition, even whilst feeling a tinge of sadness that her physical presence is no longer with us. But I know that she lives on through her teaching and the impact she has had on my life. Rumi […]

Reverence for Life

Ambling home from my Bikram yoga class, legs feeling like two 10-ton truck tires, heart rate wending its way back to normal, mind very present from 90 minutes of mindfulness, I glimpsed on the sidewalk to my left what seemed to be a dead animal. This is a fairly rare sight in Toronto at 9.45 […]

“What would Margie do”? Choosing to be happy in the face of fear

My brother’s executive assistant of nearly 30 years was murdered last Friday, my birthday.  Arlene was my brother’s right hand, the very essence of quiet steadfastness and grace.  The success he has had in business and public life is in no small part due to Arlene’s competence, loyalty and love.  My family has always been […]

Doing life – eternally

My friend Monique Mahima moved on to the next stage of her eternal journey last week.  I shed a few tears, but I also feel this sense of peace, knowing that she did the work that we are all called to do, but which not many actually accomplish.  She went within, looked for meaning, and […]

What a way to go! What a way to live!

One of Jamaica’s most beloved and talented playwrights, Trevor Rhone, made his transition on Monday.  I was lucky enough to have known him, as he was a man of great wit, humility and elegance. There is a story around his passing – he went to Bella’s Gate, his childhood home deep in rural Jamaica on […]