The emergency room doctor was flanked by a nurse and a social worker. My husband of just two years lay pale and confused on the bed; our 10-month-old son played in the waiting room with his aunt and cousin.

The doctor’s eyes glistened with tears as he delivered the news: “Your husband has a brain tumor the size of an orange in his right frontal cortex. We are going to transfer him immediately to Brigham & Women’s by ambulance.”

In the space of time that it takes to say those words, our lives were forever altered. Friends and family surrounded us with love in every way they could in the ensuing months. We all, emotionally at least—and on a soul level, survived. The diagnosis led us on a spiritual journey, trying to make sense of it all. Our journey was largely shaped by a book a dear friend recommended we read: Conversations with God (CWG) by Neale Donald Walsch.

This book resonated so strongly in our lives that we all – my husband John, my stepdaughter Jen, and me – ended up with our own copies, dog-eared and well-loved. It shaped our experience with cancer and continues to shape my life to this day.

One of the central tenets of the book is that every thought, word, or act puts energy into the world – and that any of these at heart come from a sponsoring thought of love or fear. You can live in fear or live in love–unconditional love. Your focus determines your experience. Because of this book on our journey, we chose love.

When the time came to let go of John’s current incarnation, we knew he was going to a safe and loving place and we were able to let go in love and peace without fear. In honor of my husband and my father who passed away soon before John, and as a way to put powerful and perspective-changing resources like Conversations with God into people’s hands, I created Uplifting Connections – an oasis of wellness and positive energy where people can find books, services, and workshops to help them on their journeys.