Life throws you curveballs…
Sometimes they’re little bumps that you can handle. But sometimes they’re blows that knock you flat and leave you in the dust wondering if you’ll ever be able to get up. And even if you do get up, you’re not sure if you’ll ever be the same again. That’s what happened to me.
Here’s my story…
Four years ago I set out on a solo road trip from Minnesota through the Southwest. I had taken a leave of absence from my busy acupuncture practice and packed up my car for a month of exploring Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. That was my plan, but what actually happened was something else entirely.
About a week into my trip, my son Andrew, who happened to live in Colorado, got sick. And not just a little sick, he was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive kind of cancer for which there is no cure. Essentially, this cancer would take his life and fairly quickly. As a parent, how do you deal with that?
What I did was spend as much time as I could soaking up every atom of his presence. I committed 
myself to being there for whatever he needed. My husband and I took him to chemo, walked his dog and were available day or night. Despite being devastated, I kept it together as best I could and grieved in private. And I wrote; it’s what I do.
What I wrote is Love Pain: Stories of Loss and Survival. It’s a collection of stories about Andrew discovering himself during a time when he was coming to terms with an incurable illness and his impending death. It’s also about my coming to the realization that I was losing my son. While many of the stories in Love Pain are about times that were unbearably sad, they are also inspirational and describe a time of wonder and love and incredible grace.
I wrote Love Pain for a variety of reasons. In a conversation with Andrew in the last weeks of his life, we talked about his writing. He was a good writer and openly shared his journey on paper. His voice was 
candid and profound. We agreed that I would write his story, which also turned out to be my story.
In the aftermath of Andrew’s death, I found there were many books and resources on grief and the loss of a child. However, from the first moment of Andrew’s diagnosis through his last days, I struggled to find written material that would have helped me as I looked for ways to cope with his terminal diagnosis and the anticipation of losing him. I wrote Love Pain in the hope that it will help someone else who is experiencing deep loss, but also as a source of inspiration for anyone during difficult times.
Here’s what readers have posted on Amazon about Love Pain:
It touched my heart…
A Beautifully written and moving book. The author shared depth and honesty about the most difficult journey. She shares her solace in nature and how she coped and continues to cope…
Very well written and also heartbreaking…
I read it in one afternoon. Loved it.
Love Pain is set against the backdrop of tragic loss, to be sure. However the stories also talk about travel, small miracles and incredible acts of kindness. It offers readers real lessons on living intensely in the moment, finding strength and looking below the surface of catastrophe to find small gifts and unexpected blessings. Love Pain is a book that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading the last page.
You can order Love Pain: Stories of Loss and Survival here.
Reader’s Favorite Five Star Rating
