The ray of light behind the grey

Author Elisha Dacey
Ok, it’s a cheesy illustration. But it was better than the stock photo I found of a woman playfully twirling in a field with a tornado behind her. (Canva)

The past few weeks have been particularly grey for me.

It started in September when my uncle suddenly lost his wife, a lovely woman who, unfortunately, I didn’t know all that well. But in the interactions I did have with her, she was the kind of bubbly, outgoing and supremely giving person everyone wants in their group of loved ones.

Add to that the death of the Hon. Murray Sinclair, whom I greatly admired and had the chance to converse with only twice in my life.

This was followed by the death of Winnipeg sportswriter and editor Ted Wyman, well-known and respected in local journalism circles and by our local sports teams (seriously, f**k cancer). Teddy was everyone’s buddy.

Then, late last week, the shocking news came of my friend Alyson Shane’s death. She was smart and determined, boldly launching a PR firm in Winnipeg and engaging online with anyone who needed her help. She helped organize a campaign to open Winnipeg’s iconic Portage and Main intersection to pedestrians, standing up to crusty suburbanites who prefer to drive through downtown and hurled insults at her online.

Work to open that intersection begins today, and I’m heartbroken she will not be among the first to legally walk across the intersection in 45 years.

On Wednesday, I moderated a Future of Good panel about what a Trump presidency means for Canada’s social services sector. The conversation was robust and invigorating and I wish we could have talked for several more hours.

Panellist Shanaaz Gokool, at one point, discussed grief surrounding the U.S. election and reminded the social purpose leaders on the call to give their staff time to mourn and to enable space for grief.

She didn’t know it, but the reminder that it was OK to take space to be sad was a ray of light that burst through my grey.

So I wanted to pass on that ray of light to others, like myself, who are dealing with loss and uncertainty as we approach winter in Canada.

If it’s needed and if you can, take this weekend to give yourself and others space for grief.

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  • Elisha Dacey is a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of experience in the field. She has worked in various newsrooms across Canada, ranging from small-town papers to major outlets like CBC Manitoba and Global News. Dacey began her journalism career in Manitoba and has held roles such as managing editor, senior producer and digital online journalist. Notably, she launched Metro Winnipeg, the city’s only free daily newspaper, which quickly became the second most-read paper in Winnipeg.

    Elisha Dacey is the Managing Editor for Future of Good.

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