 The Lake in fall
The International Children's Memorial Place opened this weekend on Prince Edward Island.
As a parent I cannot imagine how I would cope with the loss of Hope or James. I think that when a child dies, part of us dies as well. For me, as with many others, formal religion offers little support. But Nature can and does.heal this wound.
It is not just family who are hurt by the loss of a child. It is hard to reconcile the loss of a school friend and this happens often. Many of us are confronted by the early deaths of school friends in car accidents. My roommate at school Jamie Borwick died in a car with his brother Freddie on Freddie's 21st birthday. I was working in Botswana in the desert as a diamond prospector when I heard the news - I was 18. Living in the open and being able to look up at the star filled night sky helped me see that Jamie had made the shift into eternity.
Bill MacLean is a remarkable man who lost his son a few years ago. His dream was to create a place where family and friends could connect with the power of nature and , if they wanted, to each other, in surroundings that were "healingl". Bill has done this. Located at Scales Pond on PEI, the International Children's' Memorial Place (ICMP) is I think the most beautiful place on a beautiful Island. The lake is like the lake where Arthur found his sword.Excalibur. Early on a summer morning, the mists hover on its surface. The Dunk River travels majestically in a cathedral of trees. There is a pathway along its length. The water from the lake rushes through a dam and a fish ladder boiling with life and energy. You can plant a tree where we hope to create a new hardwood forest. There is plenty of space to be alone and there is a the choice of meeting other people. You can bring your dogs, swim and picnic. You can just visit a special place. You enter the "Kingdom of Nature".
The site is about 30 minutes from Charlottetown and from the Bridge - in the centre of PEI. See the maps on the site.
The Dunk
7:51:10 AM 
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