In the end… love is all that matters

That’s me…. with my dad, on the afternoon of my wedding a decade ago. We stood in the archway, ready to walk down the aisle. The music cued and Dad lurched forward to quickly reach the end goal… my future husband, waiting at the altar.

I held his arm and whispered, “Dad, slow down… this is our moment.” He patted my hand and smiled, “Yes, Sandra, it is… our moment.” We slowed our gait, enjoying every step as father and daughter.

Dad recounted that story many times in the last year of his life. He loved telling it… “I was rushing down the aisle and you said ‘Dad, slow down! This is our moment!” And then he’d laugh as he’d never shared the story before.

A girl’s first love is her father, and that was certainly true for me. I was proud to be an Admiral’s daughter. I was always in awe of his accomplishments. Whatever he set out to do,...

And I wasn’t so sure either.....

People thought I was crazy when I fell hopelessly in love with a man in another state. I had a whole life, a career, elderly parents, and children, all living within an easy drive in Southern California.

Living here was part of my identity, it’s what I knew, and yet every time I envisioned a life with this man, the subliminal question whispered… “could I relinquish my present life and create something new?

Isn’t that the arc of every fairy tale? The woman meets the man who will sweep her off her feet, conquer her problems, and lead her to his kingdom… to a better life.

But I already had a better life. I loved my home, my friends, my community, my job. I was living my “best life.”

But I missed being someone’s partner.

I had a great first marriage… at least for most of the 26 years. The downward spiral happened after the sudden loss of our 16-year-old son.

Some marriages grow stronger in...

“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. “— Nora Ephron

I honestly didn’t know if I could ever find love again. I’d already experienced “the love of my life” that flourished over 2 decades.

Do you get more than one soulmate in a lifetime? Mine was gone, but my desire to be in love didn’t go away with his sudden passing.

Years later, after a few dates and then a relationship that lasted far too long, I found myself longing for a meaningful connection, one where I could feel like the love of someone’s life.

More than that. I wanted someone who could challenge me intellectually, excite me physically, and love me no matter what.

In my workplace, I kept hearing horror stories of dating on the internet or meeting potential dates at the cocktail hour in a local restaurant. None of it appealed to me.

I was suddenly at a time when I...

How Letting Go of Anger Restores the Past.

I remember quite clearly, walking hand in hand with my husband, down the Red Carpet at the Primetime Emmy Awards. This was a moment we’d always dreamed of. I thought I had a fairy tale life and this was how it would be forever.

I didn’t realize then, how much I counted on life going the way I planned. I had it all figured out. Here we were celebrating an achievement we’d worked toward since we were in our 20’s.

I was so proud of my husband, but this was my night too! I worked closely with him developing each and every script, and this was a time for us both to shine!

David was an Emmy nominated television writer and producer. In the beginning, our marriage was a partnership based on our love of writing. Our courtship began with an idea for a book. Out of that creative passion, we married and created a beautiful family with four children. I loved our life together.

On the night of the Emmys, amongst the glitz...

You Think You Know What You Want? Dream Bigger

“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”- Napoleon Hill

What one thing do successful people have in common? They all believed it could happen to them. They dreamed and imagined the possibilities.

This remarkable life tool is available to anyone who chooses to use thoughts, words, and actions to set dreams in motion. Children are naturals at dreaming.

Think back to the first time you made something happen…
I was just 12 years old and I wanted to see the Beatles more than anything in the world. When I heard they would be playing the Cow Palace in San Francisco, I was determined to make that dream come true.

It meant convincing my parents I would die if I didn’t see my first true love… Paul.

I didn’t know then, my drive to make this happen was my very first experience with creative visualization.

The negotiations went something like this,

“Mom, I have to see the Beatles,...