Wave of light sweeps planet for mourning parents Dec. 13

The Sudbury chapter of Compassionate Friends will join in a worldwide candle-lighting ceremony Dec. 13, giving mourning parents and families the opportunity to remember their children, so that their lights may always shine.

The event unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honour the memories of the sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and grandchildren who left too soon.

Starting in New Zealand, candles are lit at 7 p.m. local time. As candles burn down in one time zone, they are lit in the next, creating a virtual 24-hour wave of light as the observance continues around the world.

Linda Harrison, leader of the Sudbury chapter of Compassionate Friends, said this year marks the fifth year the local group will participate. It takes place at 7 p.m. at the Lionel E. Lalonde Centre in Azilda, where Compassionate Friends meets every month. Weather permitting, it will take place outside in the courtyard, she said.

“The timing is appropriate, because Christmas is about children, and it's a very difficult time for many of us,” Harrison said. “It helps us to remember that we are not alone in this.”

Parents who have lost a child often feel isolated, so it's important for them to be able to get together with people who are going through the same thing, she said.

Harrison's son, Jamie Boreham, died in 2009 at the age of 22 after losing his battle with leukemia. She remembers the thick fog that settled over her life, and she wasn't really functional for a long time afterwards.

“When I started to figure out I needed to connect with others, I found Compassionate Friends, but there were only three chapters I could find — one in Ottawa, one in Timmins and one in Thunder Bay.”

She travelled to Ottawa once a month for about six months, but with winter on its way, she knew she couldn't keep it up.

“I connected with another mom, whose daughter is buried in the Elliot Lake cemetery where Jamie is buried,” she said. “She lives in Chelmsford. We started this chapter here, and we've had people from North Bay, Parry Sound and Manitoulin Island come to our meetings.”

As for the candle-lighting ceremony, Harrison said anyone is welcome to come out, share their stories and connect with others.

“This is a way to keep the memories of our children alive,” she said. “It's a celebratory feeling. It's not gloomy, because we're celebrating our kids.”

For more information, visit CompassionateFriends.org.