ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
“Being part of this book writing process has made me realize how magnificent women are! I’ve been surrounded and accepted by women who are strong enough to be vulnerable and brave enough to be authentic. We learned deep truths about one another and revealed things about ourselves that we may not have told another soul before we put pen to paper. The resulting chapters pack a soul-satisfying wallop! I’ve been empowered by participating and I’m confident the women who find our book will be empowered by reading it, too.”
“I had never considered myself a writer, nor had I ever imagined I would write for a published book. However, being a part of a group of women who encouraged, inspired, and challenged me made this not only possible, but also life-changing. I learned that writing an intimate part of your story can be an emotional roller coaster. You doubt, feeling like your story is not good enough. You wonder if anyone would be interested in what you have to offer. But then you get better at revealing your thoughts and feelings, and you celebrate as you finally put your story together. To have a sisterhood of women by your side throughout this process is the best part of the whole journey. I may be the youngest author in the first book, but I was treated with the same amount of respect as the oldest. And for all of these things, I will be forever grateful.”
“Writing my chapter for this book was an experience I never dreamed of having! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and spending time with all of the women involved in making the book come to life. The whole process of becoming an author is something I will always appreciate and never forget.”
“Writing my chapter helped me realize that I have overcome a great deal and can overcome any obstacles in the future. Though I have always had love and support from friends, I now have a group of loving, supportive sisters as a result of writing this book together. This collaborative group has given me faith, hope, and encouragement; I know I am loved for who I am and respected for what I am up to in the world. I loved getting to know the other women’s stories, too – it was such a deep experience for all of us. My hope is that each woman who reads this book will be able to appreciate what each writer has come through, and then be encouraged to walk through her own troubles knowing she is stronger than she thinks and has many more internal riches to call upon and share with the world than she might have believed. I am so gratified to have done what I have wanted to do since I was a little girl … write! It was past time to share my voice. This experience has given me strength and the courage to write, and having access to multiple points of view helped me learn how to write more effectively. This opportunity was a gift.”
“The experience of writing my chapter for Empowering Women With Words made me feel like a butterfly emerging from its protective cocoon. The support of the other women served as the delicate chrysalis that protected me as I went through an amazing transformation. In that quietly exciting space, I was able to understand who I was and see who I wanted to become. I emerged as a renewed version of myself, ready to live a better life with integrity and grace.”