Saturday, June 13, 2009

Ackowledgements, We Are Grateful

I would like to thank my sister, Margaret Bennett, who is also a survivor and a caregiver, for her friendship, loyalty, and love since we were children, and for her insights, support, counsel, and encouragement during all of life's travails, and, in particular during my writing of Prayer, Laughter & Broccoli.

I also wish to express my gratitude to Ed Vicinanza and Joe Locascio for teaching me to reach for the stars and to pursue my dreams. Lucy Hedrick, a true friend in every sense of the word, showed me the way to writing as an avocation. Julia Cameron ignited my crative soul with The Artist's Way at a time when my soul definitely needed recharging.

Our family would like to acknowledge the love and support of many special friends and people who have helped us over the bumps and still do enrich our lives. This includes friends like Frank and Ellen Schiigg, Bill and Jackie Hammock, Phyllis Finn, the late Pat Brown, andthe late Louise Crisafi. First Congregational Church and our friends and colleagues saw to it that we did not have to cook a meal from scratch for months after the start of Shirley's treatment, nor did we lack for child care for Alison, then 3. We are grateful.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Dedicated to Shirley Ann Billings Flierl

Prayer, Laughter & Broccoli was my first book and was the result of years in the health care industry, particularly community health and wellness services, and experiencing up close and personal living with breast cancer of my wife Shirley Ann. The book was dedicated to Shirley, my bride and my life partner, the mother of my daughter, Alison, my lover, my business partner, my best friend, and my soul mate. Shirley was diagnosed with an aggressive metastatis breast cancer in 1982 when she thought herself to be "too young" and "too small" and at a time when we had so much to live for. It was her courage, faith, humor, persistence, and joy that brought Alison and me through the experience whole and better for it. I now rededicate this blog to Shirley and to the other men struggling to be there for their wives and partners.