Original post: http://stylesubstancesoul.com/2013/04/the-spirit-of-a-woman-and-terry-laszio-gopadze-by-amy/

StyleSutstanceSoul has given me many gifts. I have had experiences I never would have had otherwise, been exposed to movies and products I would never have known about or known I cared about; but, most important, are the amazing women I would never have known had it not been for the site.

Terry Laszio-Gopadze is one of those women. I was introduced to Terry by a mutual friend Uli Heine, Director of Development at PCI, a fan of the site and an amazing woman herself. The first time I met with Terry we talked as if we were long time friends who hadn’t seen each other in awhile rather than as the total strangers we were. Terry is very sweet, open and calm, which made sense when I found out she is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

Through our conversations and e-mails I learned that she is a giver, of herself, her time and the knowledge she gains from others. She has spent her personal and professional life giving to at risk women through her many acts of charity and especially through her tireless efforts with the organization “Leap to Success.”

Uli thought Terry and I would connect and she was right. She also thought all of you would appreciate Terry’s book, “The Spirit of a Woman;” right again. I am not usually your go to person for book recommendations, as I am not much of a reader; but I hope that in this case you will make an exception. Terry’s book is a collection of short stories, inspirational stories, written by women for women about their own personal and innately female experiences. The book is divided into five sections: Connections; Creating My Destiny; The Gift in the Challenge; Changes and Choices; and Divine Interventions.

Each of these intrigued me and sounded like contemporary twists on “Passages” or at least the stages of my own mid-life condition. My first inclination was to say “mid-life crisis,” but I imagined Terry gently guiding me away from that negative term toward a softer description. I considered situation, but settled on condition, which I think Terry would approve of and that those of you who are in a similar stage of life will relate to.

I can clearly hear her using those five book section titles to more positively describe my negative descriptions of my own emotional state or “circumstances”. I would say I am suffering and struggling with a lot of loss in my life: the loss of my Dad; the loss of my children no longer living at home full time; and other losses in my personal and work life. Terry would describe these losses as “Changes and Choices,” perhaps even “Divine Intervention” in the case of my Dad’s sudden and untimely death.

I might say I am having difficulties with aging in general, and specifically aging in the work place, and with feelings of being obsolete as a full time mother. Terry would encourage me to look for the “Gift in the Challenge,” for new ways to make “Connections,” to “Create my own Destiny,” and she would be right. The experiences of the women who tell the stories in Terry’s book tell me the same thing and give me great examples to learn from.

I asked Terry why she thought the stories in “The Spirit of a Woman” were important. This is what she said.

“The stories of the women who triumph, even in adversity, help us to discover the places inside ourselves that we may not get to on our own. In “The Spirit of a Woman,” we meet women of diverse backgrounds whose stories inspire us with their strength, courage, resourcefulness and authenticity. Their stories remind us of the goodness and greatness in being human.

Stories of hope and transformation help us to remember that we have the freedom to choose. We can choose to follow our rhythms, to speak our truths, and to be faithful. We are always creating our lives based on the stories we choose to guide us. After all, storytelling is the most ancient soul retrieving, healing art on the planet.”

The Spirit of a Woman was a finalist in the anthology section of the National Indie Excellence Awards!

I’m very grateful to all the authors and other wonderful contributors to the book!

The competition is judged by an independent experts from all aspects of the indie book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, book cover designers and professional copywriters. They select award winners and finalists based on overall excellence of presentation.

With joy and celebration,

Terry

I am happy to announce that The Spirit of a Woman was a Finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award!

–Terry

Excert from HofferAward.com:

“After our rigorous first round of judging, less than 10% of the titles become category finalists. We consider this a distinction of its own merit and, in 2008, began officially listing these titles on-line. Finalists are selected by category scoring. There are typically 1-6 books per category selected as a finalist. Finalists fall into approximately the upper 10% of all books that entered the contest. Below are the current and previous category finalists in alphabetical order by book. (Please click here to view the Montaigne Medal Finalists, da Vinci Eye Finalists or First Horizon Award Finalists.)”

When Venus passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, we see the planet as a small dot passing slowly across the face of the Sun. Edwin Hubble described this transit as “the most noble event in astronomy.” It is a rare event that occurs in pairs, eight years apart. The first one of this pair was in 2004 and the second will occur on June 5 or 6, 2012, depending on your location.  Observers in North America see it the evening of June 5. The next one won’t occur for over a century, in 2117.

Sheri Ritchlin

Sheri Ritchlin has posted material on the subject which explores the deeper meaning of the transit in its relation to the Mesoamerican Quetzalcoatl-Venus (Mayan Kukulkan) and the birth of the Sixth Sun in 2012 according to both the Nahuatl (Aztec-Toltec) and Mayan Calendars.

The website link is at www.SheriRitchlin.com

For more info on when and where it is visible, you can go to
http://www.transitofvenus.org/

–

Enjoy,
Terry

Brenda Reynolds Embraces Life with Horses

Brenda Reynolds gives credit to horses for saving her life and lifting her out of the grip of anorexia.   She reminds us that through the presence and insights of animals we can heal, find inner peace and be filled with a sense of wonder.  Now Brenda is dedicated to bringing the amazing spirit of horses to teenage girls. Why not share the gifts she has garnered from horses with others?

I thought you would want to read her article published in Horse Connection Magazine – Click Here to Read Her Article

With deep joy for all that Brenda and horses have to share with us,

Terry

REMEMBERING EVE
Sheri Ritchlin

We had agreed to meet at Hicks & McCarthy’s on Main Street in Pittsford. This was a trip down memory lane for me. I was back in my hometown in New York State, going to the “soda fountain” where kids hung out as teenagers. I could hear my father’s voice warning us not to become “drugstore cowboys,” hanging out at Hicks & McCarthy’s—a place that sold only sodas and sandwiches. Were there ever such days?

The place had become a nice restaurant over the years and I was meeting Eve Strella for the first time. I have lived in California since 1966 and was back for my niece’s graduation. My sister, Robin Wilson, lives with her family in the old house now and my brother, Christopher Ritchlin, lives with his family in Canandaigua. My sister knew Eve through their mutual work as life coaches.

We sat in the back, sipping sodas, and hours passed. Eve was wearing a baseball cap and looked as sharp as can be. And indeed she was. Sharp, bright, vivid, and streaming with an unquenchable light—even after months of surgery, chemotherapy, and days on end in doctor’s offices and hospitals. She had far more energy than I did during that afternoon. I was still flagging from jetlag and I don’t think I even had that kind of energy before I left California. She admitted that she had been unable to attend a luncheon earlier in the day because she hadn’t felt up to it. I felt privileged.

People talk about having a positive attitude, but in Eve, this was something much larger; a quality that almost defies comprehension. She talked about the wonderful things in her life, and about her beloved partner, soon-to-be-husband, Ed Ribson. They had built an observatory—Stardust Observatory—in their backyard and she invited me to come by to see it, if I had time. We discussed cosmology and quasars and the world swelled outward around us, far far beyond Hicks & McCarthy’s. She showed me the jewelry she was making, and promised to make a pair of earrings for me. She had a shop nearby where she sold her jewelry, ceramics and wall hangings. She wrote articles and did her work as a life coach. And then there was the book she was putting together of stories from cancer survivors. It became clear to me, little by little, that Eve had stage 4, terminal cancer and was not in denial of it at all. “I just don’t intend to be stamped with an expiration date,” she said. She lived each day as a special and exceptional experience.

The purpose of our meeting, beyond getting to know one another, was to plan two book-signings in Rochester for Terry Laszlo-Gopadze’s book The Spirit of a Woman. Since both of us had stories in it, we decided to do this together and she had made the arrangements. I had worked as an editor on the book and remembered very well when Terry sent me Eve’s story to consider for inclusion in it. I had been deeply moved and impressed by the story so I answered with a resounding,” Yes”. I really wanted to meet the woman who had written that story when I discovered that she lived in my hometown back east.

Eve’s story in The Spirit of a Woman was not about her cancer. That came later. It was about the death of her husband, of twenty-two years, which came upon her unexpectedly when he entered the hospital for heart surgery and died that night. It was a searing experience, and Eve wrote the story in a way that any woman who has been through it can identify with. It is a story that “empowers and inspires”—the subtitle of Terry’s book.

We were in touch after the book-signings. Eve emailed me in August—

“Sorry for the delay on this … time flies.  I thought you might be interested.  Go to www.rochesterwomanmag.com, then go to page 43…let me know what you think.”

Hugs,
EVE

The interview with Eve in Rochester Woman Magazine was indeed something else to be proud of.  I just tried to follow the link again and found that the article is no longer up, so I wrote to the publisher, Kelly Breuer, and she sent this reply.

“I did not know that she passed away, and that tremendously saddens me. She was an AMAZING, A+++++ lady. She will be truly missed. I will be more than happy to send you the article as a pdf/jpeg file for you to use as you wish. We would be honored…”

You see how she touched people. I will include that article below when it arrives.

In March of this year, I heard from Eve again, asking me to take a look at the press release for her cancer survivors book. My jaw dropped. The cover was beautiful and carried a comment by Robin Roberts, co-anchor of “Good Morning America.”  The title was Moments of Truth, Gifts of Love: Women of Community and Spirit Journey Through Breast Cancer.

Now keep in mind that all during this period, this was a person with Stage 4, terminal, cancer. By the end of May this year, she was back at Barnes & Noble in Rochester for a book-signing for her new book.

Eve’s book is a collection of stories of cancer survivors. Eve is not a cancer survivor. She passed away on July 19, 2011. The stories in Terry’s book all come to insightful conclusions. Eve’s final story does not. Yet it is all the more inspiring and empowering. She bears witness for us that life can be lived powerfully, lovingly and gracefully even on the downswing—whatever form that takes. From the beginning, Terry was looking for stories for her book from women who had converted hardship into blessing, in all of the myriad ways people are challenged to do this. You could say that Eve’s final story has no satisfying ending, but it does. In her passing, Eve has given us the ultimate insight:

The spirit has no expiration date.

Long live that fine spirit.

SHERI – BIO

http://www.sheriritchlin.com/

The following poem was very important to Eve because David Whyte had written it for a friend who was dying of cancer. It speaks of death as the  beginning of a journey instead of a departure. The poem resonates with Eve’s indomitable spirit and courage and it gives us all hope for our own journeys.

With love and appreciation for a captivating and heartfelt woman,

Terry

The Journey
David Whyte “The House of Belonging”
www.davidwhyte.com

Above the mountains
the geese turn into
the light again

painting their
black silhouettes
on an open sky.

Sometimes everything
has to be
inscribed across
the heavens

so you can find
the one line
already written
inside you.

Sometimes it takes
a great sky
to find that

small, bright
and indescribable
wedge of freedom
in your own heart.

Sometimes with
the bones of the black
sticks left when the fire
has gone out

someone has written
something new
in the ashes
of your life.

You are not leaving
you are arriving.

This is the title of an up and coming book by an inspiring woman, Mary Reynolds Thompson.  Mary invites us to connect with earth’s spirit and wisdom in fresh and meaningful ways. She calls us to renew our relationship to earth while we make commitments to heal the natural world and ourselves.  I had to introduce you to Mary. Mary is calling us home.

I wanted to share Mary’s wonderful newsletter with you as well.  I’m signing up! Join me.
Click Here

www.reclaimingthewildsoul.com

With gratitude and reverence for our planet,

Terry

“Of a certainty
the man who can see
all creatures in himself,
Himself in all creatures,
knows no sorrow.”

-EESHA UPANISHAD

Spring is a season of many delights.  Including the creatures who appear in our yards and the feast of flowers in full splendor.  I’ve seen red fox, quail, coyotes, hawks, raccoons, hummingbirds, and most recently two doves came to nest in our rose bush. I wake up in the morning to cooing.  I also met a rattlesnake.

As I was stepping into the yard a few days ago a young rattlesnake was less than a foot away from my foot! I backed away and watched this small snake and tried not to be afraid of it. I wanted to bond with this messenger (as I believe all the animals that come to us are messengers).  I searched for the shamanic meaning of snake to find they symbolize rebirth, renewal, transformation, wisdom, healing, and primitive energy.  I told my husband if the snake would have bitten me, I could have died and then been reborn, renewed, transformed and healed!  But seriously, I knew intuitively that there was a message for me. Like the snake, I need to shed some things in my nature and some relationships that really aren’t working for me at this point. I also needed to trust that the beautiful qualities snake was bringing to me were moving into my life.

When the two doves decided to build their nest above our barbecue, my husband and I decided that we would give up the barbecue so that they could have a smoke free environment.  Everyday we look to see if they are still in their nest and safe.

Doves symbolically remind of the importance of peace. Deep peace. The kind of peace that helps to calm our worries and our troubled thoughts. They remind us to renew in silence.  In our moments of stillness are able to find and appreciate the simple blessings.  Doves represent the ability to see new possibilities.

As the doves arrived and built their nest, I received this wonderful little story from my friend Jacque Rice Jensen.  I had to share it.

SPRING …….. LOVE OUT ON A LIMB

The things that go on in the tree right outside my bedroom window never cease to amaze me.  A few days ago the antics of two young doves diverted my attention for a few moments.  Sharing one small limb, they were a “couple”, or perhaps they were about to become one. Sitting rather sedately, side by side, he reached over to give her an adoring peck. She radiated pleasure.  Then without warning he grabbed her beak into his, swung her off the limb and onto the side he’d been perched on! He then attempted to jump onto her back, a movement that caused him to lose what little grip he had on the situation. Sputtering and fluttering he fell off, barely catching the limb with his toes!

She however, had maintained total calmness throughout, landing gracefully, with barely a feather out of place! Though she did give him a small look of bewilderment, as if to say, “What were you thinking, Dovie?”

When last I looked, they were still sitting side by side like an old married couple, appearing content with what was, while around them all the other birds with no demonstrations of judgment continued their joyous hymns to spring.

Are there any qualities of the snake or dove that you can would like in your life? Then take a moment to reflect or meditate on each quality and what action you can take to call them in.

rebirth
transformation
renewal
primitive energy
wisdom
stillness
calmness
new possibilities
shedding

Like St. Francis said, “You are that which you are seeking.”

May your path be blessed,

Terry

The Spirit of a Woman won a Silver Nautilus Book Award! My heart opens every time I think of it.  I’m grateful for all the people who supported me along the way when this book was just a seed and yet they encouraged me, helped me, and kept me inspired when the road was difficult and I lost my way.  This reminds me to do the same, to nurture people who come to me with their dreams. To give them what I can, for we are all a community of gifted, talented and creative people and I want to pass on all that I have been blessed with. I share this award with the contributors of the book and my tribe.  Like Dr. Glady’s McGarey says, “We need each other.” Each of us are miracles.

Nautilus Book Awards recognize books that promote spiritual growth, conscious living, and positive social change, offering the readers “new possibilities” for a better life and a better world.

Winners are carefully selected in a unique three-tier judging process by experienced teams of book reviewers, editors, authors, librarians, bookstore owners, and leaders in the publishing industry. Previous winners include Deepak Chopra MD, the Dalai Lama, Eckart Tolle, Huston Smith, Marianne Williamson, and Andrew Weil, MD.

http://www.nautilusbookawards.com/ The Spirit of a Woman is in the Women’s Interests Silver Awards category.

With celebration and gratitude,

Terry

Uplifting words expand your heart. Our Mother’s Day Top 12 Book Pick List is filled with inspirational books that are ideal gifts for your mother or yourself. Enjoy this special day together – and share a heartfelt book! Save this list all year round! A great book resource for you.

Read Spirited Woman’s Top 12 Mother’s Day Picks Here >

“…we have reached a moment of humility and if we have the courage to embrace it, we will dream a new dream for our children and our grand children. If we cannot step out of our egos and into the heart of our Spirit, then we will continue to invest in the ways that are threatening the very health of the planet and her inhabitants.”

-Jyoti

I met Jyoti  (a Hindu name that means light) at a peace conference.  She was speaking at the conference with a few of The Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers. www.grandmotherscouncil.org

Over the years, I have been able to get to know Jyoti. I can tell you that I don’t know anyone who is more dedicated to preserving the ancient ways of The Indigenous People and our dear planet. She does this from a place of love, deep sacrifice and commitment.   She does this even when she is going through great challenges in her own life.  She keeps showing up and creating a world that is better for everyone. www.forthenext7generations.com

When she first brought The Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers together (from countries all over the world) her vision was to preserve the plant medicine by learning from and working with these wise elders. However, they have formed an inspiring council for peace, prayer and healing. I am honored to have her story entitled “Prayer in Action” in The Spirit of a Woman. You can read an excerpt from her story here.

When I received this profound newsletter, from Jyoti’s Center for Sacred Studies, I wanted to pass it on to you so you can share in the amazing events that they provide and be encouraged by what they are doing.

May you walk in beauty,
Terry

Read Jyoti’s Newsletter Here.
Read Jyoti’s Bio Here.

“When women work together nothing is impossible.”

-Susan B. Anthony

One of the most fulfilling experiences of my life has been working with, and getting to know, the contributors in The Spirit of a Woman. They have enriched and deeply expanded my life and the lives of other women, leading us all to new places.

Janet Grace Riehl is one of those contributors, and she has generously helped me get the messages in The Spirit of a Woman out in to the world. It has been difficult at times, as our callings sometimes are, but I can always count on Janet to share her wisdom and experience with me. I also enjoy her enthusiasm and rich creativity.

Recently, I was as happily surprised when I read her essay about being a contributor in The Spirit of a Woman. Janet’s post “Life Takes Time. So Do Books”, is the first in the Womens Memoirs’ (www.womensmemoirs.com.) Wednesday series by authors talking about how the books they’ve written changed them. Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler are celebrating Women’s History Month on their site and I thought you might enjoy it, and think about giving your own books and stories the time they need to come to light, and life.

Read Janet’s essay here: http://womensmemoirs.com/memoir-book-reviews/life-takes-time-so-do-books-by-janet-grace-riehl/

Peace and Harmony,

Terry

——-

Read Janet’s Bio – Click Here

Janet’s, Sliding Glass Door, is a beautiful story about the importance of friendship and history in the Changes and Choices chapter in The Spirit of a Woman.  Visit Janet at www.Riehlife.com

Meeting Lena Rivkin, was a great way to start 2011. I felt grateful that we were in the beautiful embrace of Rancho La Puerta http://www.rancholapuerta.com/ where nature, nurture, organic food and delightful hikes abound and the interesting people that I meet there make it special.

I met Lena (a graphologist and artist) when I attended her wonderfully fun and revealing classes at the ranch. She can analyze you by your hand-writing! To learn more go to Abouthandwriting.com

I was immediately struck by Lena’s bright smile, humility and her genuine interest in others when I attended her class. I found her to be extremely articulate and talented.  Her analysis of the handwritings of the participants were startlingly accurate.

When Lena analyzed my handwriting she said, “Yes, I see you have a literary aptitude. Do you write at all?”  She was certainly correct. I told her I had a book published in June. When she mentioned my attention to detail, I knew she saw my “perfectionistic tendencies” and was being respectful!

Over lunch, I learned that Lena’s older brother has autism.  Lena is his guardian angel.  And so the bigger story unfolds about a sister who is loving, devoted and understanding to a brother whose limits have actually changed her into a deeper more compassionate person. You can read their story here http://blog.autismspeaks.org/2010/05/26/itow-rivkin/

They create artwork together.  Isn’t this interesting, beautiful and amazing?

Lena shared this note with me that she sent to the media. I was not aware at that time of this proposed budget cut. I wanted to share it with you too.

Re: Proposed Medi-Cal Cutbacks

“As siblings of developmentally disabled adults currently living in a group home, we are frightened and saddened by the Governor’s proposed reductions in Medi-Cal funding. These cutbacks would jeopardize the existence of their home and destroy the safe world that has been created for them. While we recognize that cuts have to be made, and regret that so many deserving people will be effected, it is unconscionable that this proposed budget would undermine the well being of the most vulnerable and helpless amongst us.”

As Franklin Roosevelt said,  ‘Society will be judged by how it treats its weakest members.’

Regards,
Stu Silverman & Lena Rivkin

To learn more, or to help go to www.newhorizons.org

Lets keep Lena’s and Phillip’s story in our hearts and minds as we go through the changes in our state.

Big Love,
Terry

Invitation,

I’d like to invite you to the Big Apple Conference in New York!   I’ll be attending the conference on Saturday to take the class on Memoir and Metaphor: Illuminating Your Life Through Writing.

Every story has a gift! I wonder what yours will tell? I wonder what I’ll discover about one of my own? I’m so thrilled to have this time to explore and nurture a story while meeting other writers and I wanted to share this conference with you.

On Sunday, I’ll be on the author panel talking about “The Spirit of a Woman” and the publishing process. If any of you are attending, please say hello!

If you go to the California conference, let me know how it goes!

With joy,

Terry

———–

The Alchemy of Language: Turning Simple Words into Shimmering Works

Friday, March 18 to Sunday, March 20, 2011

Bosch Bahái School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, California

Setting: The California Conference, in its 28th year, takes place at Bosch Bahai School, a 67 acre retreat center situated in the Santa Cruz Mountains among the Redwood Trees.

Program: How do we transform our simple thoughts into works that will transfix the reader? Can we become borrowers, using the information and form the great masters; nature’s images, and our own poetic lines? The alchemy of language stems from being open to inspiration wherever we find it. Come join us in finding robust nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs to make our writing shimmer.

WORKSHOPS:

Imitation to Originality – Modeling Our Work on the Masters’: Richelle McClain

Nature as Thesaurus – Culling Vibrant Images from the Pages of Nature: Mary Reynolds Thompson

Poetry as Springboard – Start with a Poem; Finish with a Flourish: Rachel de Baere

Workshop Directors:

Richelle McClain, Mary Reynolds Thoompson, and Rachel de Baere (see website for bios)

Conference Fees:

Members:

• Weekend guests inclusive of entire program, two nights room and all meals: $375
• Weekend commuters inclusive of program, exclusive of room and meals: $160
• Day attendees – Saturday Only: $125
• Day attendees – Sunday Only: $55

Non-Members:

• Weekend guests inclusive of entire program, two nights room and all meals: $395
• Weekend commuters inclusive of program, exclusive of room and meals: $180
• Day attendees – Saturday Only: $150
• Day attendees – Sunday Only – $70

Registration Deposit (will be applied to the registration fee): $60

Meals: Breakfast ($9), Lunch ($12), Dinner ($13)

IWWG Annual Membership: $55

Payment: Payment may be made by credit card at www.iwwg.org. Click on Events/Calandar. Or send a check made out to IWWG and mail it to: IWWG, P.O. Box 810, New York, NY  10028.

Regional IWWG Representatives:

Northern California: Rachel de Baere (415) 456-4574, itsmerach@comcast.net

IWWG Headquarters: Hannelore Hahn (212) 737-7536, dirhahn@aol.com

Listen Here