The tears we shed are holy tears, Loving God. You are the compassionate source of our crying, and you weep with us.
You weep with us as we come to the realization that the illness that is ours may not find a cure.
You weep with us as family and friends join their tears with ours in disbelief and shock around this illness that will end in death.
You shed tears of joy with us at the time of remission, and tears of sadness when our illness returns.
Our tears mingle with yours in the frustration that comes when this stubborn illness will not respond to medical treatment.
You join us with family and with friends, and our tears flow freely as we resolve to support and encourage each other. When life is at an end, we will know the tears that come at the time of parting.
And as we remember and look back with warmth and joy, your tears join with ours as loved ones are recalled and our time with them remembered. Amen
—By David Sparks, United Church of Canada minister, and Sheila Noyes, former co-president of Dying with Dignity Canada