I met someone and said "Wow" I wanted to discover more about this person and knew the other person felt the same way? This was professional networking at its finest! It was serendipity happening!
I met Lynn at the Creative Problem Solving Institute this summer. She came into the room, sat attentively, asking questions becoming engaged in the material. I was presenting this seminar for the first time since my book Square One at 51 had been published and it had taken on a new meaning for me. Lynn grasped this immediately and we connected.
Last month when I met her for lunch in Atlanta I had one of my folders with me and Lynn remarked on the quote I use "What makes your world go around...Let Hedria take you on a voyage of discovery." When I returned home and rechecked her web site www.lynnschoener.com it had the following words "she (Lynn)takes attendees on a self-discovery of how to manage change - and even how to thrive - in a changing, challenging world." No wonder we felt a kinship, we take others and ourselves on the same paths.
We had arranged the meeting so she could give me feedback after the seminar. I was blown away when Lynn told me: "I haven't read your book yet. When I returned home, my colleague Sherrie's husband had died suddenly, and I gave her my copy to read!" There are several similarities between Sherrie's situation and mine - her husband Issac and my husband Paul both died suddenly. Although I am not of the baby boomer generation, I was in my 50's when this happened and so is Sherrie and her husband. Lynn said later: "The Baby Boomer generation doesn't think anything bad can happen to them!"
Sherri and I discussed incidents that we shared: Enormous ones like: preparations for a child's wedding without your mate; moving your home. Smaller hurting ones such as: changing next of kin on your doctor's information; buying a card for your son's birthday and signing it Mom; taking out the garbage alone. These are all bitter sweet moments. Sherrie said reading the book "gave her confidence to know she would survive" - that is get through it all and come out okay.
The other colleague at lunch was Patricia DiBona. Her web site is fantastic, please give it a visit www: Patriciadibonadesigns.com. I resonated with her quote: "The purpose of life is to create --- so we know who we are." Isn't that insightful? Her scrapbooks and diaries are fantastic. She and Lynn do weekend seminars together and they must be sensational!
A bottle of wine, a beautiful day, a lovely restaurant and 4 women interested in each other's stories. What a fantastic way to spend four hours! Thanks Lynn for arranging this!




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