Let’s build up your inner spirit and give you strength for the holidays! Try praising yourself as much as you can instead of criticizing yourself—tell yourself how well you are doing with every tiny thing. Look in the mirror…look into your eyes and forgive yourself—you are doing the best you can. Don’t hate yourself for […]

Today I was watching the TV’s listings channel and looking for the news stations. Suddenly I heard the familiar pan-flute music of the Romanian artist Gheorghe Zamfir. I was riveted. It’s been forever since I’ve heard his precious melodies! Years ago, as I had watched the guests filing out of the chapel and walking past […]

Death, dying and grieving are a natural part of life and sometimes our society doesn’t always do a good job of preparing people for facing their own deaths or the loss of loved ones. But the Lights of Life project (a tree lighting ritual that I participated in while I lived in Canada’s far north—Whitehorse, […]

I have to admit I felt very disturbed after the Pickton verdict came out this week. I’ve been following that case for some time for two reasons: Because my sister, Cindy James, had once mentioned she came in contact with a prostitute who was afraid for her life—one of Pickton’s targets (?) I’ve wondered. And, […]

Watching the Vancouver news waiting to hear “Willie” Pickton’s sentencing, I heard the mother of one of his victim’s say, “I keep hearing her screaming and saying Mommy…Mommy…please come and help me.” Remember, these victims were butchered and fed to the pigs. And the family members were in court when the evidence was presented. Over […]

Although Cindy was neither a prostitute nor killed in the same manner, in both the “Willie” Pickton case and in Cindy’s case society failed the victims through a lack of proper support over a span of years. In the Pickton case, a long list of women disappeared from the streets of East Vancouver over a […]

On Tuesday a sentencing hearing will begin for Robert “Willie” Pickton, the man who was recently convicted of second-degree murder of the six women whose butchered remains were found on his pig farm. That verdict will certainly help the family move forward as they continue to grieve. And so will the victim impact statements they […]

I feel an enormous sense of relief to know the verdict is finally in after 110 days of testimony (ten months) and almost ten days of deliberation. Here it is: Just before noon today, Robert “Willie” Pickton, charged with 26 counts of first-degree murder, was found guilty of 6 counts of second-degree murder. (A second […]

Would you help someone end their life (if you believed they were of sound mind) if they were in extreme pain (whether mentally because of intolerable harassment, or physically)? Is it possible to set aside any religious doctrine (the belief that only God should determine the time for death) to debate this issue? Did you […]

I wish my child hadn’t died—I wish I had her back! Being a bereaved parent is not contagious so I wish you wouldn’t shy away from me—I need you now more than ever! I know that you think of me and pray for me and that my child’s death pains you too—I wish you would […]