I'll Be in the Car - One Woman's Story of Love, Loss and Reclaiming Life

Hello to All,

A mutual colleague recently connected me with author Annette Januzzi Wick. Our mutual friend thought we had stories to share and a connection to be made. She was right!

Recently, I had the great opportunity to speak personally with Annette, purchase and read her book, I'll Be in the Car. I'll Be in the Car is a personal story reflecting Annette's experience. It is not a book about death and grieving; it is a love story about life and living and finding the will to go on when you believe your reasons for living have died.

This inspiring story traces Annette's brave adventure into the dark valley of despair and back again to the warm sunshine of hope. Told in the voice of a poet, I'll Be in the Car is, ultimately, a story of joy and triumph.

As widows, we each have the opportunity to create our own personal story of joy and triumph. As a coach, my quest is to help my clients become really clear about what they want, take action and move forward. Visit http://www.coachingforwidows.com/ for more...

This book may provide you with some inspiration. I'll Be in the Car, by Annette Januzzi Wick. http://www.illbeinthecar.com/

Thanks to Annette for sharing her story of Love, Loss and Reclaiming Life.

Warmly,
Colleen
http://www.coachingforwidows.com/

Anniversaries and Birthday

Hello to All,

I write this particular blog from a difficult place, mindset and sadness if you will. If you have been reading my past blogs, you will know, as a coach and as a widow, I strive to be with "all of life's ups and downs", striving to give and find the inspiration and ask the questions to help us all grow and move forward. Today (this entire week actually) is a rough one, and there have been rough one's before and perhaps rough one's ahead.

Hopefully, this blog will be helpful to you on your personal life journey.

I will preface it all with a question. What are the gifts?

Yesterday was the 4 year anniversary of my husband Rory's death. Today would have been our 14 year wedding anniversary and in 2 days it would have been Rory's birthday. As you can imagine, it is quite a bit of anniversaries in a 4 day span.

This past weekend we had some of our dearest friends visit and it was fantastic. We had lots of laughs and shared great memories of Rory. We placed flowers in remembrance yesterday and I cried. A bit later in the day, I brought them to the airport, had to say goodbye and guess what...I cried. As I drove home, I cried. The "water works" were going strong. The Beatles CD was playing and the song "Let It Be" came on. A part of the chorus says"Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, whisper words of wisdom, let it be, let it be. In that moment, it helped me "let it be". My hope and vision is to share words of wisdom and support for other widows. Part of being a coach, I believe, is to walk the talk, to be authentic, to be with the tough stuff, to ask powerful questions and to be grateful for all I have.

So, I will leave you all with the question, "what are the gifts"?
What are your gifts? What can help lift you up, especially in difficult times?

Warmly,
Colleen

Tigger and Things

Hello to All,

You will see and read on my website's Home page at www.CoachingForWidows.com, "A Journey of Self Discovery". I would like to stress and spend some time on the notion and term of "Journey".
From the Dictionary:
1. a traveling from one place to another, usually taking a rather long time
2. a passage or progress from one stage to another

Why is Colleen digging into this term "journey" you may be asking yourself? How does this impact me as the reader of this blog?

Well, I want to put this concept out there to all of you. The concept is, I want for you to know that moving through grief, moving on in life, growing, evolving etc. all of it is a journey. Within this journey there are ups and downs. Now, I am certain you may be thinking, well I know that and you may be thinking that you have had your personal ups and downs as well. What is interesting is how little things or particular dates on the calendar can really trigger deep emotions unexpectedly. Everything can be going smoothly and then, bam...something, someone, some date on the calendar triggers you and you are back in another place and another time. Know that this is okay and natural. Be kind to yourself and give yourself some room and space to feel and be with all of the emotions that come from the "trigger". It is a journey filled with hills, valleys, sunsets and sunrises. Look in the mirror and know that you are growing from your experiences and learning about yourself in the process.

Today I am continuing on my "de-cluttering" process. I cleaned out an old purse and in it was my husbands most favorite pen. It is a black montblanc style pen with Tigger on it. My husband Rory loved Tigger. (Tigger is usually very happy and bouncing...my husband was very Tigger like in life as well.) I also came upon the last Valentine's gift he gave me before he passed. It was a stuffed bear from "Build a Bear" in the Sir Lancelot style and it says outloud "I Love You" when you press a button. These 2 things triggered me, I will confess. I continue to look inward and reflect on all my emotions, even the ones that do not feel so good. It is all about the Journey of Self Discovery.

What are your "Tigger and Things" in your life and what is your Journey to Self Discovery teaching you? What is important to you now?

Warmly,
Colleen

State Farm - Embrace Life Awards

Do know about the Embrace Life Awards? It is given by the StateFarm Insurance Company.

PERSEVERANCE. INSPIRATIONAL. COMMITTED. REMARKABLE. SELFLESS.HOPEFUL.

Do these words describe you or someone you know who has persevered following the death of a spouse or a parent?

Since 2004, Statefarm has honored five women with an Embrace Life Award each year. This year, making the fifth anniversary of the award, a group of 13 men and women,who have lost a spouse or parent will be awarded with $10,000 each and a trip for two to Chicago to the Embrace Life Awards Ceremony on Aug. 25, 2008. To learn more about the Embrace Life Awards program and to read about the previous winners, go to www.SFEmbraceLifeAwards.com.

Warmly,
Colleen
www.CoachingForWidows.com

The Art of Being A Woman Alone

Hello,

Looking for a good read? Here is another book I recommend. It is called "On My Own" The Art of Being A Woman Alone by Florence Falk.

Recently, a fellow widow found my coaching website (http://www.coachingforwidows/) and requested to meet for lunch. We met, found we had much in common and had a most insightful and fun meeting. Again, there is so much support and encouragement when we reach out to those who also "get it" and have walked in our shoes.

She was reading this book, On My Own and highly recommended it. I quickly purchased it and am in process of "the read" which so far is amazing. Here is some information on the book.

To be fully free, every women must learn to be by herself. At some point over the course of the average American woman's life, she will find herself alone, whether she is divorced, widowed, single, or in a loveless, isolating relationship. And when that time comes, it is likely that she will be at a loss as to how to handle it. As a society, we have an unspoken but omnipresent belief that a women alone is an outcast, inherently flawed in some way. In this invigorating, supportive book, psychotherapist Flroence Falk aims to take the fear, doubt, confusion, and helplessness out of being a woman alone. Falk invites all women to find their own paths toward an authentic self hood, to discover the pleasures and riches of solitude, and to reconnect with others through a new found sense of self-confidence.

Hope you enjoy the book.

Warmly,

Colleen

www.CoachingForWidows.com