Tribute to Michael White

Michael White died on 5 April 2008 at the age of 59. He was in San Diego to teach a workshop when he had a heart attack. It is almost impossible to believe that a man who lived his life with such energy and enthusiasm could die so unexpectedly and untimely.

The news of Michael’s death has sent ripples of shock and grief through the narrative therapy community in South Africa as it has around the world. I was touched by the many emails that spoke of the deep respect that colleagues hold for the values that Michael represented through his life, teaching and writing.

On Saturday 19 April we gathered to re-member Michael. The quiet early morning space was filled with stories of gratitude for the ways in which Michael’s work transformed the lives of those who were present. As we gathered we were reminded of the gift of being joined together through the shared commitments and purposes that drew us to Michael’s work. We reminded ourselves of the strong and meaningful bonds that have been established as a result of our connections. Many of those present spoke about being gifted “a place to stand” as therapists. We celebrated Michael’s gift with words, his ability to articulate his thoughts and practices, his attention to the details of everyday living as well as the optimism and humour that he brought to his work. Some spoke about how narrative practices enable them to work in contexts where they would otherwise have given up hope. It was clear that most of those present did not only find a place to stand as therapists, but had been moved to better places to be in their personal lives. The richness of the legacy that Michael has left us will continue to live through us in our homes, amongst us as a community of therapists as well as in our consulting rooms or the communities where we work as healers.

In the four consultation groups that meet every month fifty of us will be studying Maps of Narrative Practices this year. We cannot thank Michael enough for this accessible and comprehensive text which, together with his other writings, we will be able to feed on and refer to for many years to come. We are sad and cannot believe that we will not see him again or anticipate more of his writing. We will miss him, but we are determined to keep his memories alive through our work.