For Anne in her palliative care bed, every day is “Sweet Dessert Day” Rewind to the early 1980s: Like so many first-time parents, Anne and I were brimming with righteous resolve to shield our offspring from the evils of junk food. “Sweet Dessert Day” was our grand idea, a weekly treat so exclusive it..
Anne is Real Butter Back in the fabulous fifties and swinging sixties, Canadians were all but commanded to cast aside their beloved butter in favour of margarine – this so-called “modern marvel” that promised thrift, health, and, if you squinted hard enough, a resemblance to butter. But in its original form, margarine looked as appetizing..
She’s a clean machine As a devoted caregiver for my wife Anne, I find myself constantly hovering, attentive to her every need – sometimes to an excessive degree. Her battle with terminal brain cancer has left her quite wobbly on her feet, requiring me to be vigilant at all times. Whether it’s guiding her through..
The Indomitable Anne and the Great Hat Rebellion Or, How to Outwit a Vicious Canadian Winter with Sheer Stubbornness Let me tell you about my beloved Anne, whose spirit is as unyielding as the Canadian Shield and whose relationship with winter headgear is more complicated than a double-double at Timmies. Most mortals, upon being handed..
Attending a Séance, London, Ontario, January 1969 When I was 16 years old in Grade 12 at Oakridge High School in London, Ontario, I first experienced puppy love, with all the attendant tail-wagging and barking. The year was 1969. The object of my baying and howling was a Grade 11 student named Cathy Reed, who..
Anne’s New Year Banquet: Spicing Up Fate A Tale of Resilience, Laughter, and Sichuan Peppercorns Back in the swirling mists of early May – when the maple leaves were barely awake and Anne’s neurons were staging an Olympic relay – she awoke from emergency brain surgery with a sense of place that was disconcertingly certain…
Heather: A Gentle Benediction Elegiac Free Verse for Our Palliative Care Volunteer Heather – named for the white bloom* that threads protection through wild hills, good fortune’s quiet blossom, a wish released into the hush of a winter morning. She arrives at our abode gentle as petals, breathing colour into Anne’s world, her soothing laughter..
I was interviewed by Trina Boyko Content Writer for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. The title of her article: Caring for Anne: A husband’s journey through glioblastoma Here is how it opens: “From the moment Robert McBryde picks up the phone, there’s a flurry of activity in the background. As one person leaves, another..
Reflections on Christmas Sunday and Christmas Carol Season: A Loss of Innocence From an early age I have been obsessed with the Biblical narrative of the Fall from grace, with its vivid imagery of innocence lost in Eden. From the time that I turned 12 or so, the story has resonated deeply as..
Between Hope and Heartbreak: Living as a Full-Time Carer by Sarah-Jayne Gratton This is a brilliant account of how it feels to be a caregiver. It describes many of my feelings and experiences as I look after my precious Anne, stricken with incurable brain cancer. I have included some excerpts below but please read the..