A Note from Judy

This month, my youngest grandchild, Madelyn, named for my beloved sister Margie turned one. She is a bundle of joy, smiling, adored by her big brother Benji, lucky to have cousin Jake, six months her senior to play with. My gift to all three grandchildren on their first birthdays, is a needlepoint I stitched with the saying, “Love You to The Moon and Back.” Rushed to finish Madelyn’s, having recently completed Jake’s, I ran a little shy because of the past hectic few months.

I am honored, proud and excited to serve on the Board of Directors of the COPE Foundation. Adam Rabinowitz, the Executive Director, and I taped an Open to Hope cable show in New York. Over a lovely dinner at the iconic Sylvia’s in Harlem, Adam asked me to join the board. COPE is a nonprofit grief and healing organization dedicated to helping parents and families living with the loss of a child: No one should grieve alone. To learn the full scope of this wonderful organization, celebrating their 25^th year, please visit, https://copefoundation.org

Joined by COPE’s Co- Board President Jen Schwartz, and other inspiring speakers, we presented at the first ever virtual Sibling Summit held on April 13^th organized by Susan Casey and Maya Roffler. Thank you to Linda Falasco, my co presenter, a surviving sibling who lost both her brothers. Linda and I shared common threads in our talk on multiple losses. The capability to listen to the sessions after the conference, provided participants to soak in the breadth and depth of the summit, and pace their emotions that can arise when attending a grief conference.

The publication of Celebration of Sisters solidified the importance of authenticity, building and sustaining relationships. Throughout the grief journey, writing, lowering the walls I surrounded myself to protect the sad and complicated feelings, opened my heart, and shared my beloved sisters Margie and Jane, I have been fortunate to nourish established relationships, embellish new relationships, and had opportunities to meet wonderful new people. The saying is true -everyone has a story.

Uncomfortable with social media and the nuances, preferring personal communication, but understanding the climate of our culture today, I dabble in what feels comfortable for me. Despite my reservations, on some platforms, I have met new and interesting individuals. Touched by my story, Bryan Rutberg, reached out to me. With mutual connections, shared philosophy about communication, peers of the same age, and the desire to give back, Bryan and I met via Zoom and enjoyed a delightful conversation. Please check out Bryan’s website, https://3ccomms.com

Through Bryan, I met Margo Fowkes, an incredible person, to honor the memory of her beloved son Jimmy, works with companies to open the dialogue about grief in the workplace and founded Find Your Harbor. Margo’s book and information are listed below in the Book Corner; https://findyourharbor.com, and https://ontargetconsulting.net.

I wish you all a wonderful summer!

To order your copy of Celebration of Sisters: It Is Never Too Late To Grieve, available on audio, please visit www.judylipson.org

I leave you with the following,

Book Corner

Margo M. Fowkes is the president of OnTarget Consulting Inc., a firm specializing in helping organizations and individuals act strategically, improve their performance, and achieve their business goals. Margo also helps organizations and leaders create a more compassionate culture by speaking openly about grief and loss in the workplace. After the death of her son, Jimmy, in 2014, she created Salt Water, an online community that provides a safe harbor for anyone grieving the death of someone dear to them.

Dorothy Hamill charmed America at the 1976 Olympics with her irresistible smile and her stellar performance, which brought home the gold in figure skating. One might have thought that the national attention and endorsements that followed not to mention popularizing a cute wedge haircut and having an ice-skating move named after you (the Hamill Camel) would have resulted in a satisfying and relatively carefree life. Not so. Hamill reveals the truth in this candid memoir, exposing a litany of woes: the silent curse that afflicted both her parents (untreated depression); her father's alcoholism; financial hardship; her two failed marriages; and her self-doubt as life dealt her blow after blow. Watching her parents try to treat their depression with drinking or indifference made her face her own demons, and with proper treatment, she can keep her depression in check. On the plus side, Hamill celebrates the two loves of her life, skating and her daughter, Alexandra. A poignant, revealing look at a life we might have imagined differently; the story will touch the hearts of skating fans everywhere

Memory

After trick or treating, with bags loaded with candy, my sisters, Margie and Jane, and I dumped our bags onto our designated corners of the dining room carpeted floor and sorted our individual stash. “I’ll trade you a Charleston Chew for Milk Duds,” or “I’ll trade you Raisinettes for Babe Ruth?” or “How did you get more than me?” Within a few days the candy was donated to an orphanage up the street from our home.

Skating

I performed with many talented skaters at the Bog Skating Club Spring Exhibition at the end of April. Thank you to the team who put in hard work and efforts to make the show such a smashing success. Thank you to all supported me on and off the ice. To combat the nerves, I sang along to the music. I hope you enjoy my performance to “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” where an adult skater is living out her dreams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taVqpga4HDY

Until next time,