ISBN 1-894838-14-9 - $19.95 CAD - trade paper - October 2004 - 160 pages - 6" x 9"

FOREWORD TO THE BROW OF DAWN

Non-fiction by Catherine Edward

*** Winner of the PEI Book Award ***

Foreword by Dr. Jock Murray

The Brow of Dawn. I love this title. It says a lot about what this book is about, what Catherine Edward is all about, and perhaps what all of us should be more about. It suggests that each day is for each of us to make of it what we can, despite the adversities that come to all of us. This book shows how one person who happens to have multiple sclerosis lives each of her days.

As a physician I often hear people who have difficulty coping with the slings and arrows that affect their lives state that anyone would respond as they do if they had their troubles. Anyone would crumble and slide into dejection and despair if they had such a problem. On the other hand my patients also understand that attitude and a positive outlook make all the difference in life and in illness. Some do this naturally. Some learn it. But I have been impressed that most come to an understanding of how they must readapt and live their lives despite adversity, and they continue to amaze me and humble me with their strength and their courage. And no one amazes me more than Mary Catherine Edward, the sparkling strong woman from Prince Edward Island who exudes all the charm, enthusiasm, and toughness of Anne of Green Gables, who came from that same beautiful Island.

You have to meet Catherine to understand her approach to life. As you read her diary, and come to know her, you will be charmed by her wit, engaged by her thoughts, delighted by her insights, uplifted by her spirit, and energized by her strength.

When I first met her, she made it very clear that she was a person, but happens to have a disease. As I came to know her I understood her philosophy, which was something like, "I have a disease -- but it is not me -- I am well!" This is not a denial; it is an affirmation of the person.

As you read this book, you will see that she does not dwell only on her disease. She has a life, a childhood, a family, experiences, hopes, values, and dreams. She happens to have a disease, and she must deal with that too. Thus, this is not a diary of a disease -- it is a story of how to live your life.

We will all meet adversity in this life. The only question is whether we will have the capacity to meet it with spirit and strength. Catherine's example shows us that it is possible, and although each of us must do this in our own way, she teaches us some very important lessons.

MS is not a minor problem for Catherine. It often saps her energy, interrupts her life, and prevents her from doing some things she dearly wants to do. It gives her all the uncertainty and fears that every person with MS feels. She isnít unrealistic about this, but she has decided how she must live her life.

We have a lot to learn from her.

Jock Murray OC, MD, FRCPC, MACP

Director, MS Clinic, Dalhousie University

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