Wise Words

When life deals you a blow, it’s easy to hide under the covers and succumb to the pain. However, it is the opinion of these three local female authors — all of whom have faced severe challenges and lived to tell the tale — that the only way out of grief is through. Here, they offer a few words of advice.


Conquering Fear

Alison Levine, On the Edge “Fear is just a normal human emotion — it’s complacency that is dangerous. When facing adversity, you have to be able to take action. Don’t let fear paralyze you. Learn to be OK with failure, because a lack of failure-tolerance stifles progress and prevents people from taking risks. You’ll bust through a hell of a lot more barriers if you aren’t afraid of failure.” alisonlevine.com

Embracing Change

Marie Mutsuki Mockett, Where the Dead Pause and the Japanese Say Goodbye “I would say three things to any woman facing loss or adversity: 1. You are not alone. 2. Your pain may feel permanent today, but it is not. 3. Take the time you need. And don’t be afraid of change, because change will happen. Personally, I’m still experiencing what change might come my way as a result of my loss.” mariemockett.com

Letting Go

Sukey Forbes, The Angel in My Pocket “When dealing with any great adversity, we have to give ourselves permission to — one day — be OK. While this may sound cliché, many of us (myself included) have a hard time letting go. There is an aching emptiness that one experiences in the short time between letting go of all of the darkness and filling those spaces back up with life-affirming energy.” sukeyforbes.com