In Memoriam... for Doctor Allison Morgan Sherman

                                                     Doctor Allison Morgan Sherman
                                                  October 29th, 1979 - April 26th, 2017    


Dear Friends,

On the sunny Spring morning of Tuesday, April 26th, 2017 at exactly 7:30 am... the spirit of our blazing comet ... sweet Allie passed peacefully and quietly beyond the light of this earth. She did so ever so reluctantly, but bravely... and with the loving presence of all of her family surrounding her - each offering offering her their permission to leave.

Death can lay claim to no victory in conducting this cruel act against one so undeserving of his malicious and contemptible actions. Neither can he be proud of his act of painful vengeance that she endured so defiantly and bravely... right up to and including her final earthly breath. She remains our undefeated and indisputable champion of life!

I am usually a man of [too] many words... but I can honestly admit that since then and right up until this moment, my voice has been absent and my thoughts... simply scattered... and "I"... detached from almost everything else in life that for the moment seems trivial in meaning to me. But that too... shall pass... perhaps... with time. But for now at least, I am still struggling to regain my direction and purpose.

Tributes for her have poured in literally from around the globe since her demise and all help to soothe our family's loss. However, Allie was the very hub of our blended families - the very heart of it really. For each of us... and in our own way, we never ever believed that she wouldn't physically defeat her enemy. Though that battle victory was not actualized... her spiritual conquest of the disease was fully won.

Her spirit and her legacy are best summed up in this favourite quotation which best describes her mantra... and her passed challenge to we who survive her:

"In the end, only three things matter: how much we loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you."
                                                                  Buddha

 This wonderfully intimate Venetian "Allie" moment was captured by her colleague and friend Professor Peter Coffman. He created a series of plaque mounts so aptly titled: La Venezia di Allie which were offered at silent auction at a fundraiser to help defray the expenses of her three month medical treatment in Vienna, Austria. Deb and I brought this one home to be with us permanently.

The beautifully photographic masterpiece is Peter's... while the quotation comes directly from Allie. She did in fact get to see the actual images and finished plaques.

I will add further followup to this brief post at a later date. There are no more words ... today.Except that I wish all of you... Rich blessings of Health and Happiness!!! Hug your children and tell them how much you love them... each and every time that you must part. It may be the very last time that you have the chance to do so.