​

​

 

 

I’m Vivian, and for years, I was convinced I knew how life was supposed to work. I had degrees in psychology and education, I counseled countless men and women at church and in my community, and I believed I had a solid handle on human behavior.

 

But then came a moment that brought me to my knees: the day I lost my only son. No textbook or counseling degree could prepare me for the hollow emptiness that followed. 

 

The pain was immense, like a wave crashing over every piece of my world. Nothing I’d learned could fill the gaping wound in my heart.

Maybe you’ve felt something similar. Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one, or you’re grieving a divorce, a lost dream, or a sudden realization that too much of your life has gone by. You might look at the clock each night and wonder if you’re any closer to meaning, happiness, and peace.

 

I was desperate for an answer, a path out of this darkness. And that’s when my journaling took a turn. I saw my son’s life in dual visions: first as a strong, protective bear, and then as a kind-hearted, curious young man who always extended “bear hugs” to lift others up. Those images were so powerful that they became the foundation for a story, one that refused to stay on the pages of my diary and begged to become something bigger.

 

It dawned on me that although these two beings, a bear and a boy, are worlds apart biologically, they share a meaningful connection, one that every person on this planet can tap into. They each have to find food, face challenges, protect themselves from threats, and discover their true purpose. The only difference is that time moves quickly and relentlessly for each of us, and we rarely notice until it is almost too late.

 

That realization changed everything.