“When you come to the edge of all the light you have and take the first step into the darkness of the unknown, you must believe that one of two things will happen.  There will be something solid for you to stand upon, or you will be taught how to fly.”  Patrick Overton “Faith”

That quote means a lot to me.  When several of life’s unpredictable surprises pushed me into making a leap of faith, it came to have a whole new meaning.

Being divorced in my mid-fifties and then surviving breast cancer, I began to look at my life a little differently.  Uncertain and terrified about my future, I accepted a “dare” from a friend to apply to become a flight attendant.  This was a huge leap, given the fact that I don’t like to fly and I’m afraid of closed spaces. After being told I’d made the cut, I found myself asking, “What have I done?”  I’d earned my wings; now it was time to fly.

In the course of learning my new profession, a pattern began to emerge.  Passengers—total strangers—began to open up to me.  They felt comfortable sharing their stories.  What started as a story retold at dinner parties became my first book filled with heartwarming and sometimes tearful stories.

“Oh, my friend, it is not what they take away from you that counts.  It’s what you do with what you have left.” H.H. Humphrey, Jr.

Sometimes in the most painful moments, you can find joy.  My second book provides hope and comfort to not only breast cancer survivors but to their families and friends, as well.  I had just been separated a few months when breast cancer knocked on my door.  It was unexpected…and uninvited.  What came out of that experience was a new confidence; a strength I didn’t know I had.  My daring to take a few leaps of faith were just what the doctor ordered.

I have two grown sons, Ross and Cole, who are my proudest accomplishments, without a doubt.  My husband, author Ernie Carwile, and I live in Denver, Colorado.  We both love to write, speak, travel….and eat!