about me

Most about me pages inform the reader of educational experiences, careers and accomplishments. This is important, but prior to telling you those things about my life, I'm willing to tell you the real story--the story about me.

I was born the ninth of 13 children, and by the time I was three, I viewed myself as a courageous free spirit. I was born in the inner-city projects of St. Louis, Missouri but I didn't perceive myself as poor or unloved. My older sisters seemed to cherish me. I remember feeling a freedom to be who I was that I would assume few people experience.

Then something tragic happened. Our mother abandoned seven of us  in a cold apartment on a November day. Several days went by before a neighbor realized what had happened; that's when child welfare got involved.

We landed in a Catholic orphanage. My older sisters were devastated and missed a mother who had once been a good mom.  I was too young to understand the loss we had experienced and I, fortunately, had the love, protection and comfort of my sisters surrounding me. 

To add to the tragedy, it was Christmas time. Yet, amidst all of the sadness, I believe I had my first peak experience in the little chapel at the orphanage on Christmas morning. Within its walls, I could feel a mystical energy, full of scents, sounds and sights that delighted my soul. The aroma of incense, the smell of pine from the Christmas trees decorated by the nuns with such care and the sound of the their voices raised in angelic songs reaching out into the universe, lifted me. 

I saw the baby Jesus lying in the manger and felt the joy surrounding his arrival. I felt the love of it all and instinctively, I knew that such a love was not limited to that little chapel, the nuns nor my sisters. Intuitively I knew that this mystical love was free to all who could recognize the sacredness that dwells within each of us.

But then the next tragic event occurred. We sisters were separated from each other through various foster care placements.  One-by-one, I watched my sisters leave the orphanage until eventually, the same thing happened to me and my sister, Kay.

We were separated from our sisters for over 40 years. During that time, my endless search for them was unsuccessful until the day I had a premonition. Somehow, I intuitively knew my sisters were going to find me in three days, and true to my understanding, it happened. 

Our reunion was emotional and powerful, and over the next many years, I gathered their stories to write a book about our lives. I hope to have it released by early 2022.

As an adult, I pursued a career in family psychology, worked with families and abused children and then became an ordained ministerial counselor, practicing for nearly 30 years. True to my early understanding of the power of mystical love, I counseled individuals from every walk of life and from every religion or non-religion, some very famous and some as ordinary as I am. They each had a light within that, when recognized during our time together, transformed their lives in many positive ways.

I retired to complete the writing of my book, but now that it's almost finished, the awesome power of the mystical (call it God) is calling me to return to service. You see, it appears that everywhere I go, someone ends up in my path that needs a leg up by way of an understanding look, a kind comment, and sometimes a lengthy conversation involving what I refer to as "sacred listening."

So, "I am listening," and hope that what you find on this website and in my writings, upcoming workshops, blog posts, etc., will help you find your light within and use it to ignite your life.