Goodbye Jesi, Hello World

After my husband and I separated last year I deemed 2012 as a year of losses. I found it to be appropriate as I lost my transportation, my job, my pets, and my home. I sold my camera equipment and many other beloved possessions to move back to my hometown and literally started over.

When 2013 came my life was completely different. I had my own apartment, a new job and I declared it to be a year of taking chances. So I blew off the metaphorical dust off of my book manuscript and updated it and through the inspiration of my late best friend Jesi, I published Echoes Through Corridors Silence in Rooms. Jesi recently passed away due to a heart attack. So much of her life was unfinished at 40 years old. This only fuels my intensions for this year and even though she is not physically here to push me as she always has I still hear her voice saying, “Well? What are you waiting for?!”

I have received amazing comments on my book and had many people thank me for helping them realize they were not alone. That was Jesi’s message for the world. While Jesi and I had our differences in the contributions we wanted to make to the world we had the same goals. We wanted to make a difference. While her work is done, her intensions are still alive and well, for every step I take from here on, I take her with me. I have our other best friend Sheila to make sure that happens.

We all went through the healing process together, writing and sharing poetry and cheering each other on as we created new lives for ourselves. As I step into the role of writer and motivational speaker I am aware that this is a natural progression of our stories.

I am now accepting speaking engagements to share my experiences as a writer, photographer and a survivor of abuse, all with being physically challenged. I will share my failures, my successes and the processes in between. All of this I offer with one special message. “You are never alone.”