Yet make no mistake: not everyone will choose to enter this world. Some feel more comfortable with the uncomfortable, which is a paradox in itself, as one of the meanings of comfort, is found in the dictionary to be easing of grief. In other words: many people choose what society offers.

Expect a shift. When Marie first learned about her husband’s passing, she made a decision within the first few minutes, that would not only change her and her sons’ lives, it created a paradigm shift in the world of grief for thousands of people she touched with her journey.

It all started less than 3 years prior to Rob’s sudden death. A fatal accident caused Rob to take a detour on his way home from work. Later that night they learned that a young father had lost his life, being hit front on by a truck. And it was that night that Marie and Rob had the “what if” conversation. The impact this heart-to-heart would have, was completely unknown to them both at the time.

When Marie’s world was turned upside down by the phone call of a sergeant from the coroner’s office, when she was hugging her boys in the living room, the key sentence of their conversation echoed in Marie’s head. She heard Rob’s voice: “If something was to ever happen to me, I would want you to create the happiest life possible for you and the boys!”