Welcome to the official website of author
COLLEEN A FRIESEN
In the wake of profound loss, grief becomes a journey of transformation for a diverse group of individuals seeking solace, understanding, and healing.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Grief alters the shape of a life. When my son Errol died, the world I knew collapsed. In the months and years that followed, I searched for stories that could hold both the ache and the possibility of healing — stories that felt honest, human, and grounded in truth. The truths I found, and the struggles I faced, led me to write The Price We Pay.
My intent is to bring you, the reader, into a grief support group — a circle of people learning to carry what cannot be fixed. Sarah, navigating the sharp, disorienting grief of losing her father. Ray, wrestling with the anger that keeps erupting in the wake of losing his spouse. Paul, whose quiet steadiness hides a lifetime of unspoken sorrow as he walks through his loss and discovers his Indigenous grief journey along the way. The loss of a child brings Doug and Leshia to the group, while Helen arrives bereft of purpose after the passing of her sister and life companion. Their journeys intertwine to form the kind of grief support group stories I hope will bring you peace as you navigate your own grief.
At the end of each chapter, I draw you into the experience with gentle reflection questions, offering you a place to pause, breathe, and explore your own story with compassion.
The Price We Pay is fiction, but it is rooted in truth — my truth, Errol’s truth, and the truths of everyone who has ever sat in a circle and said, “This is what I’m carrying.” If you are searching for healing fiction, stories of community resilience, or a compassionate companion through grief, I invite you into this book. It was written from heartbreak, but also from hope.
Finding Purpose During Grief
When someone we love leaves this world ahead of us, we are left feeling lost and confused. We grapple to find ways to make sense of what has happened. Finding a purpose or torch we can carry onward is one of the most powerful ways to cope with grief. Read More...
Offering Grief Support
I hear many sad tales of people who suffer the loss of a loved one followed by abandonment of people who love them but don’t know how to support them during grief. I understand. Offering grief support to someone who is experiencing a major loss is more difficult than we might think. Read More...
Finding Strength in Grief
What has allowed me the strength I need to face the loss of my daily physical relationship with my son with vulnerability and integrity? The absolute certainty I have of 3 key Truths.
BLOG ARTICLES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Colleen Friesen is a writer, speaker, and mentor whose life has been deeply shaped by love, loss, and the power of community. After experiencing profound grief, she turned to writing as a way to heal and share her insights on finding hope, connection, and personal growth.
Colleen resides in Unity, a small rural community in west central Saskatchewan, where she embraced the town’s name as a symbol of her spiritual awakening. She cherishes the connections she has built there, sharing her life with her husband, Craig, and their fur-princess, Espresso. Though her son Dylan no longer lives at home, he is a constant source of joy and support.
Although this is Colleen’s first published novel, she has been writing poetry and prose since her youth. Following the tragic loss of her son Errol, she began blogging independently and contributing to Open to Hope, where she continues to share her journey.
If you’d like to connect with Colleen for speaking, workshops, or mentorship, reach out—she’d love to hear from you!