Back in October I attended a fabulous conference for women
bloggers called She’s Connected. I met all kinds of amazing women, some of whom
I’d gotten to know online (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and some I was fortunate
enough to meet by chance.
Jane Blaufaus, author of With
the [Stroke] of a Pen, Claim Your Life, was one of those women I was
fortunate enough to be sitting at a table with during a couple of sessions at
the conference. Along with her
publicist and friend, Rania Walker, Jane was not only attending the conference but she was also
there to share her story and her book.
Jane’s story is one of tragedy and triumph. She lost her husband in a plane crash when
she was just 39 years old. Suddenly a
single mother and head of the household, Jane soon found that she had a lot
to learn and a lot of hurdles to overcome.
With the [Stroke] of a
Pen is a real, no-holds-barred story about what it’s like to lose your
spouse and the aftermath that ensues. Jane tells it like it is. It’s full of emotion but also full of
practical advice. If you’ve never lost
someone close to you it is impossible to know or to imagine all of the details
and everything you must do in the days, months, and even years following a
death.
Having recently lost
my Dad, I can tell you that there are decisions you’ll be making and
details you’ll be taking care of that you won’t want to think about. Things happen fast and you need to be
prepared. I can’t stress enough how
important it is to educate yourself about your spouse or parent’s final wishes,
finances and personal matters, but also to ensure that all of these things are
in order for yourself. There is nothing
more difficult than having to make decisions in the midst of grief. I know this first-hand.
With the [Stroke] of a
Pen also provides a summary of key take-aways following each chapter and
comprehensive checklists at the end of the book. Everything from what you need to talk to your
life insurance advisor about to pre-arranging your funeral is covered in these
checklists. It truly is food for
thought.
Nobody wants to talk about dying or about losing someone
they love, but it does and will happen to all of us. Have those conversations and pick up this
book to help you. You will be glad that
you did.
Note: I was provided with a complimentary copy of
Jane’s book at the conference – thank you!
All opinions are my own and I was not otherwise compensated to write
this blog post. This subject matter is
important and these conversations necessary!
