Four acquaintances who shared my small New England town became my beloved friends before they died. Circumstances brought us together and circumstances separated us—for now. Wisdom is a collection of vignettes about how each meeting and separation impressed my soul with unforgettable wisdom. • Marie was a dog trainer who let go of this life after I made her promise to look after my dog until I could arrive on the other side • Those who have passed want us to be happy, Jeff had assured me. I was able to quote him to his widow when she was facing a decision about a new relationship. • I had categorized Marian as an irritating Grandmother, till I found out how circumstances had shaped her personality. • Helping Diane gave me the opportunity to teach this modest perfection of womanhood to remain centered in the face of the adversities of dying prematurely. There is a time for smiling, a time for crying. A time for living and a time for dying. This is the natural order for all living things. When the sun sets in our sky, it is rising to welcome birth and new beginnings on the other side. My four friends have not ceased to exist—they are simply in a new dimension now. And someday we will all be together again.

Cathy Tolk lives in Avon Connecticut with her husband of thirty seven years Andrew. Together they raised 4 children, ALL BOYS. She wanted to consciously live her life and knew a written plan was important to achieve her goals, so 30 years ago she wrote her personal mission statement. She stands behind these words today as much as the day she wrote them. “NO MATTER HOW LONG OR SHORT MY ENCOUNTER IS WITH ANYONE WHEN WE PART WE WILL BOTH BE BETTER PEOPLE FOR HAVING MET.’’ She repeats it every night before she goes to bed and every morning when she wakes. She’s quick to remind everyone her life has had all the ups and downs any full life has. And in the face of her personal unforeseen circumstance of being diagnosed with MS in 1995 she once again reflected on what was really important in her life. She believes that life is 10% circumstance 90% attitude and realized this was a perfect opportunity to put in action what her mouth had been saying for years. She had no control over the cards life dealt her, but she’s quick to add that she’s totally in charge of how she plays it and makes the conscious decision every day never to be a victim in her life.