1972
One of my dearest friends, Andrea chose to take her own life.

Her untimely death would change my life in ways I didn't know or understand then. Andrea bestowed a Gift, it would take me more than 39 years to appreciate!

1976
On highway 31, March 20th, approximately 2 am in the morning, my life forever changed. Directly in front of Andrea’s grave was the scene of the three car crash which first pinned me between the cars, then spit me out and up into the air… Thanks to Andrea, my head did NOT split like a melon on that frozen highway… This was the first gift from Andrea. The other, or what I call the best/worst gift I received was being one of those left behind.

Knowing the pain, the angst, the never-answered questions I could not in the end, leave my loved ones in the same place.. Andrea’s death became the catalyst to keeping me living. On multiple occasions. Through so many years of physical pain, trauma, and self-loathing.

1983 to 1985 (and on to today)
Three botched surgeries, that still have ramifications today, And too many repairs, doctors, drugs, etc. to mention.

1997
Run down by a road-rage man who was trying to hit me and my kids. And this became my lightbulb moment.. My aha… the beginning of the transformation into me, that took almost 2 decades.

Covered in scars, looking like a map of the backroads of anywhere, I hid because I felt ugly and had such shame.

2011
Along came G+ and social media and I chose to be seen on video to help others become visible.

2013
I share my story for the first time. I’m filled with gratitude. I realize the adage no man /person is an island is the truth. I am no longer an army of one.

2016
On my healing journey, I find Kintsugi, a philosophy that treats breakage and repair as an honourable part of the history of an object. This begins the change in my self-perspective. In Japan they repaired the broken porcelain and then painted the cracks (scars)with real gold. (My bent humour calculates I will need about 20lbs of gold for the job LOL)

All kidding aside, now, I think of my scars as the gold veins of my life experiences rather than something to disguise and despise.  

2018
Onstage at Yuk Yuk's Comedy Club for my first ever '6 minutes'!
I now proclaim myself FLAWSOME. (from Pink Goldfish 2.0)

And I'm Bionic so that's freakin' cool!

2020-2022
Continuing the self-discovery journey, releasing 80 lbs, creating my reality daily, choosing life! Sharing my #gratitudeattitude daily!!!

I created The Suicide Zen Forgiveness Podcast  to give suicide survivors and those left behind a place to share their stories and lighten their burden. This podcast is my thank you to Andrea for all the years she has given me...