"Recently, a peregrine falcon came to me in a dream.

It looked into my eyes and said simply, 'It's time.'

I knew precisely what it meant."
— Henry-Cameron Allen, OCP, ICGC

LTC Founder

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It's Time

Widow. Orphan. These words universally acknowledge those who have lost a partner or parent. Yet no single word exists to describe a parent who endures outliving their child. We deserve the same recognition. It's time.

Peregrine is a word that is at once beautiful, powerful, and evocative. It suggests strength, resilience, courage, and hope in the face of great adversity—while honoring the sacred journey we travel through grief.

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The Word's Journey

From Latin peragrare meaning "to travel through," peregrine originally described "a stranger in the fields" or "lost traveler." Medieval Latin called the falcon falco peregrinus—literally "pilgrim falcon"—because young birds had to be captured during their first migratory pilgrimages.

Today, peregrino still means pilgrim in Spanish, pèlerin in French. The word carries the sacred weight of pilgrimage across cultures.

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Why Peregrine Fits

As grieving parents, we often feel like lost travelers—strangers in a strange land, pilgrims on a sacred journey through grief, seeking to regain hope, purpose, and peace. We are wanderers seeking something precious we have lost.

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The peregrine falcon embodies our journey: Native to every continent, these birds nest in high, inaccessible places. They have no fear of flying—indeed, they are Earth's fastest animals, reaching 200 mph. They migrate up to 20,000 miles yearly, fearless in their long-distance journeys.

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Symbolically, across cultures, peregrines represent protection, rebirth, renewal, power, strength, and hope. All the qualities we must find within ourselves to endure.

 

Once endangered by DDT, the peregrines' recovery from near-extinction mirrors our own potential for healing—the possibility of renewal even after the unimaginable has happened.

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The Call

There is no single right way to grieve. Some Peregrines find comfort in sharing their journey; others grieve privately. Some find solace in faith; others in nature or art. What matters is allowing yourself to feel and finding what works for you.

If the word Peregrine resonates with you, start using it. Share it widely. Let us know how it feels and how others respond. Like 'widow' and 'orphan,' new meanings take time to catch on, but with practice, we expect this definition will someday be added to dictionaries.

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Join the Club

The Lost Travelers Club is where grieving parents come together to uplift one another. We offer resources and programs to help Peregrines cope with grief and find hope for the future.

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If you are a Peregrine, we encourage you to join. If you know someone who is a Peregrine, please guide them our way.

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Together, we can find strength in shared experiences. We can honor our children by finding new ways to live. We are Peregrines—flying fearless and free on the wings of grief toward a new future. Trusting the current, trusting the course.