I’m sure I was like many other people during the recent Christmas season, hanging decorations, baking cookies and singing carols. Unlike some, however, I was also marking a very personal anniversary, remembering the Christmas twelve years earlier when my husband of 22 years announced 1) that he’d lost every penny of our money on an ill-conceived business venture and 2) that he was leaving me and our daughter to move across the country to live with his girlfriend, a former stripper, and her five children. Boom! Merry Christmas 2002!

Those announcements blasted apart the very foundation my life, reducing most of what I held dear to rubble and ushering in nearly a decade of “shock and awfulness.” Not one area of my life was left untouched, from my family and finances to my health and career. The bad bounces just kept on coming and it didn’t look like I would ever bounce back to a full life of joy and satisfaction. But, eventually, finally, I did—apparently, I’m a slow bouncer! Today I am remarried to a wonderful man, have a whole new family and am able to pursue the career I love. After nearly ten years of operating in survival mode, I finally crossed into thriving mode, so, yay, and happy anniversary to me!

As I reflect on my journey back to wholeness, I can say that despite the missteps, wrong turns and dead ends, I am proud of how far I have come and grateful to so many who supported me. And I feel compelled to share what I have learned with others who may be dealing with their own experience of shock and awfulness. That’s why I am looking for one special person to work with one-on-one and guide through a tough time. If that sounds appealing to you, you can check out all the details of the program I am offering by following this link.  http://www.leegaitan.com/work-with-lee/

Wishing you a future filled with happy anniversaries!