Within the pages of this intimate memoir, Thomson shares how she has navigated her new status as a widow after losing her husband, Dale, after forty-four years of marriage. First diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Dale then experienced stage-four cancer. The husband and wife had taught Sunday school for decades, were deeply active in the life of their church, had raised children, and were grandparents. Thomson relates it was only through her profound, unyielding Christian faith that she was able to make it to where she is today. She emphasizes the role friends and family—essentially “angels” sent by God himself—played in allowing her, over time, to arrive at a place of relative peace and acceptance of such loss.

Part-diary, part-book on Christian faith, Thomson’s work provides an abundance of advice based on personal experience regarding the grieving process. “Misconceptions” about grieving are addressed in detail. As such, any reader in a similar situation will benefit from the informative guidance and inspiration within these heartfelt, honest, openhearted pages. “Grief is not an enemy or a sign of weakness,” writes Thomson. “It is simply a sign of being human and is the cost of loving someone dearly.” With an intimate, accessible voice, the author casually engages the reader. Acknowledging that every person’s grief can be entirely unique, Thomson writes of her gratitude that “God now shows me, through my grief, how to find joy and move on.” For the author, “finding joy” involved starting a support group for widows and widowers, and volunteering at the cancer center where Dale had received treatment. Ultimately, this is a story of forever treasuring shared memories, and allowing oneself, as Thomson explains, to accept the various aspects of loss, eventually moving forward with new possibilities and strengthened faith.

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