At different times in their young lives, both my sons received a gift many parents bestow upon their children—an over-sized beautifully wrapped present. The entertainment value is high as the child excitedly rips toward the hidden treasure only to realize inside is a second colorfully packaged box…then a smaller one...and then an even tinier something...and so on. As my boys continued on with their quest, wrapping paper piled up around them, their anticipation grew. Upon final arrival at the itty bittiest of boxes they discovered a small but mighty prize well worth all the effort of the action.

I truly consider From Us For You like a gift that we get to keep unwrapping only in the construct of stories. Storytelling has been around forever and is utilized during all seasons of life being utilized for teaching children about the fresh new world, teenagers trying to impress their peers, or adults reminiscing memories with family and friends. They come in varied fashions, some with humor or remarkably poignant facts. Others evoke tears of joy or sorrow. Certainly these tales stay vital to our existence.

CONTINUE HERE…

While putting this project together, each time a new submission came in from one of the 25 writers involved, it was like opening a massive box with an ornate bow on it because I wasn't exactly sure what I'd find inside. Reading further, I found the true gifts from the writers—their reflection and lessons learned from a journey of self-discovery.

The chapters in From Us For You are unique. Every writer shares something only they could. Debilitating or life-threatening illness, dysfunctional relationships, childhood trauma, violence, loss of control, self-doubt, being an outcast, struggles in seeking passion or calling in career and life. An immense physical struggle isn’t always necessary to trigger perspective and discovery. We are emotional beings and sometimes we uncover compelling revelations from seemingly insignificant details from everyday life. 

The women engaged when offered the chance to bring a part of themselves solely for the benefit of other people. Their lives have not been perfect; neither has any of ours. Yet they placed one foot in front of the other whether unsure of the eventual destination or believing in their whole being where they would eventually end up. They are changed and stronger humans because of their experiences, and remain hopeful and appreciative of life.

You may encounter visceral responses as you read due to a similar experience that you've gone through or are currently facing. Pay attention to that. These stories are important to learn from. They help make us more aware of the complexities of other people—those seated nearby on an airplane, standing behind us in the grocery store line, sitting in the car next to us in rush hour traffic. Everybody has a story. Everybody. 

Our female contributors range in age from their 30s to their 80s living across 8 different states. Many I've known personally for years in varying ways from corporate America, filmmaking, and authoring. A few are new friends made purely because of From Us For You. I even had the pleasure of including a cherished teacher from my high school days who was very influential to myself and scores of other students.

My desire was to allow the style of each of these individuals to emerge from their writing. In working with our editor, Teresa Young, we allowed personalities to shine through resulting in chapters that are not homogenized. I like the eclectic nature in which our stories are conveyed. Some are accomplished published authors already, yet a lot are not, and it’s the first time they are communicating in this way.

A wonderful part of all of this is the opportunity for these women to share and for us to listen. Listening is an incredible gift; one that rewards the givers and the receivers. The reason that all our writers accepted my invitation to participate in this book overwhelmingly was because they wanted their realizations to help others. I applaud their bravery in sharing personal circumstances, and admire each for their courage, yet mostly because of their hearts.

The net profits from book sales will be donated to a non-profit organization that is focused on advocating for the betterment of women, providing for their safety, and helping them find effective solutions to life's challenges.

My intention with this endeavor and the gracious participants who wrote the words, is to bring hope, inspiration, wisdom, and encouragement to everyone to be stronger—to thrive in their own light. If in our words we can prompt a positive step forward for just a single person, we will have fulfilled our purpose.  

These writers awarded an absolute gift to me and to all readers. As I send you off into their stories, I'm hoping that within the pages you unwrap these gifts in search of that teeny tiny nugget of truth that YOU are meant to hear today, right at this moment. That YOU are inspired to enable your own healing, growth and transformation to materialize. After all, each chapter was specifically written From Us For You.