By Alisa Hancock

The Law of Polarity teaches that everything of consequence has an opposite.

Life is just as good and joyful as it is bad and bitter. If something is bad, it is also good. If something is really, really bad, then it also contains the potential for something really, really good. This is one of my favorite laws, because it gives us hope—especially when life feels really, really, really hard.

In March 2007, we received the heartbreaking news that my mother had Stage 4 terminal breast cancer. She had aged 30 years in a matter of months. All my grandparents had lived to be at least 80, and my grandfather was still alive at age 95. So, watching my mother’s rapid decline was a devastating shock to our whole family.

It was during this time that I consciously decided to put the Law of Polarity to the test. Her death felt like something really, really, really, really bad—and I wanted to experience all the really, really, really, really good that could come from it. And to my amazement, it did.

Even though I cried more tears than I thought humanly possible, I was surrounded by a quiet, undeniable assurance that “All is well.” That feeling stayed with me through the darkest moments. I received so many personal, meaningful moments of comfort—so many tender mercies—that I began keeping a journal to document them.

We had just three weeks from the time we learned she was dying to the day she passed. In those sacred final days, I chose to focus on the mercies, not just the grief.

A tender mercy is a personal and timely message from God—one that brings comfort and reminds you that you’re not alone. It’s never random. It’s a loving whisper that everything is happening for a greater purpose. These moments are simple, quiet, and constant—if you’re watching for them.

And the more I looked for them, the more they came. More frequently, more profoundly. Yes, I still had to walk through the sadness. But experiencing the greatness of my mother’s passing was a conscious choice. And that choice brought light.

Some of the mercies I received were too personal to share, but they are written in my heart—and in my journal—as reminders that “All is well.” I lived 1300 miles from my mother, but in those final weeks I was able to rearrange my life, fly out to see her, and later return with my entire family so we could say goodbye together. That alone was a mercy.

My mother was a gifted pianist and organist. Music was the heartbeat of her life. Two weeks before her passing, we wheeled her into the rest home’s dining room and played music for her—and anyone else who stayed to listen. We sang, we played, and in those moments, it felt like heaven touched earth. After all the years she filled our lives with music, we were finally able to return that gift to her.

She spent her final two weeks at home, in a hospital bed in her living room where she had a view of the mountains and her beloved grand piano. Former piano students came and played for her. I played as often as I could. She relaxed when she heard it, and I felt her peace. It was one of her final gifts to me: the rediscovery of my own love for music.

The Sunday after she passed, we attended the church congregation she had been part of for 17 years. We were wrapped in love and support from people who adored her. The closing hymn was about pressing on and having courage. As we sang, I could feel her spirit with me—reassuring me that we are all on a journey, and in the end, we will be victorious.

About a week after returning home from the funeral, I found a letter she had written me back in 1991. It was handwritten, full of kindness and love. Reading her words again felt like she was right beside me, telling me exactly what I needed to hear. Another tender mercy.

Of course, I would love to have her back. But I am so deeply grateful for what I learned through her passing. Out of something so painful and sorrowful came an overflowing of love, clarity, joy, and spiritual strength.

And that’s the gift of the Law of Polarity: it reminds us that within every bitter moment lies the seed of something sweet.

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