Goodbye, dear sister

I’ve probably been living under a rock because I had never heard of Debbie Ford. But anyone who has written scores of best-selling books, helped thousands of people positively transform their lives and has 40,000 Facebook fans is obviously a force of nature. Debbie died a couple of days ago, at 57, after a two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer, which I learned from the following post on my Facebook feed:

‘Dear Friends,

‘My beautiful, brilliant and very brave sister Debbie made her transition last night into the waiting arms of her ancestors and guardian angels.

She told Brian and me that she was tired and ready to go. She had accomplished her mission, even though she would have liked more time with her son, Beau, her family, her devoted Julie, her gazillion friends and many beloved co-workers and community members.

‘Debbie wasn’t just my little sister. She was my friend, teacher, biggest supporter, and sometimes unmanageable, client. (She was always stubborn which served her well these past two and half years when she defied the odds of cancer. I’ll never forget the day one doctor told her in September 2010 to get her affairs in order because she was ready for hospice. She told him to F-off, that there was no way she was dying.)

The post, written by Debbie’s sister, Arielle, goes on to say that Debbie fought addition in her thirties and went on to earn a degree in transpersonal psychology, discover the connection between mind, body and spirit and devote herself to teaching and sharing her own process of healing.

Debbie had more than her accomplishments. She obviously had a sister who adored and respected her, which is one of the greatest blessings we can have in our lives. Although the relationship between me and my two younger sisters hasn’t always been smooth sailing (they said they needed my ‘permission’ to enter my room, for example), they give me what Debbie gave Arielle: Support (in more ways than one) guidance, friendship, knowledge and perspective. We don’t have to talk on the phone daily or see each other every week to feel the bond. We are here for each other, now and forever.

And they no longer need permission to enter my room. They have keys to my apartment.

from →  

0 Responses to “Goodbye, dear sister”

  1. Karen says:

    How very beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

    REPLY
  2. Janie says:

    I was very sad t hear she died. I didn’t know she had cancer and apparently more or less kept it a secret. She was an amazing beautiful, caring, deep person, many times on Oprah. She will be missed but has left us mountains of her work. My heart and prayers are with her familiy.

    REPLY
  3. Geri Greene says:

    Early in the search for who I was becoming, my first writer’s class leader mentioned Debbie’s work regarding The Shadow Self. It was the first time ever that someone had addressed the parts of us that we feel we must hide from a world that would not accept us, if we let them know who we were in our private times. I had my list of fears, failures and foibles but worked very hard to only present the prettier side of myself, my family and my successes as so much had dropped out from under me only a few years earlier. It was an empowering book to pick up and become aware that others and their perfect lives most likely had their own hidden rooms too. From there I likely own every book she has written. It touched me deeply that she left us too soon, but the gift of being a writer is that her messages are timeless and she will always be with us to share her work and her thoughts. ~

    REPLY
  4. Geri says:

    Hi Diane,

    thank you for your wonderful comment. Want to clarify one thing: I didn’t lose my sister. It was the woman I was writing about.

    Best,
    Geri

    REPLY
  5. Diane says:

    Sisters are special. I am the oldest of three. We are not always on the same page but we are always in the same book. We have stood up for each other for many years and will continue to do so forever until the end. I am sorry you lost yours.

    REPLY

Leave a Reply