Anne Marie Bennett

Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is,
in the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness:
touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, for in the last
analysis, all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.
— Frederick Buechner

My life’s journey began on May 20, 1956 in Connecticut.  I was  born into a family of two loving parents and two older brothers who wanted me and were always there for me.

My natural tendency as a child (and even now) is towards solitude.  Left alone to my own devices, I would probably have spent every free waking moment in my room with the door shut, reading a book or writing a story, daydreaming or listening to records (no CDs in those days!).

These days, I still love my solitude.  A short morning walk on the beach that is ten minutes from my house, an hour on the front porch with my journal, a weekend retreat by myself… these are all little pieces of heaven to me!

I also love to bake.  I am seriously good at making Almond Crunch Cherry Pie and my own adaptation of a scones recipe I found in a magazine.   I don’t just use chocolate chips in mine; I also use butterscotch chips and white chocolate chips!  They really are better than any coffee house makes – just ask my brother-in-law who is a gourmet cook.

I don’t spend as much time baking as I’d like to, but I find pleasure in other things too, like flipping through magazines looking for the perfect image to put in my latest collage, taking our yellow lab Suzy for a walk, dancing, and reading in my beautiful Quiet Room with our cat Sasha on my lap.

My Quiet Room is a place where I reflect, imagine, dream, and connect with myself and Spirit.  It’s also the place where I did a lot of journaling as I was healing and recovering from breast cancer surgeries and treatments.  In the stillness of the room, alone with my journal, I’d be reminded that I was more than just a tired, sick body dealing with cancer.  Spending that time alone, writing, always brought me back home to my whole, vibrant self.

Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to be a writer. I loved how it allowed me to create new worlds, but its main gift to me was always self-expression.  I also knew that writing didn’t  necessarily provide a steady income. So I decided to be a teacher, thus giving focus to another one of my passions- a deep love of and connection to children.

When I graduated from college, I moved to Virginia to teach second grade, fully committing myself to my job.  I loved my work, and was also involved in the Episcopal Church there.   After six years, I was ready for a change. I moved to Boston and started working with an educational consulting company.  I was part of corporate America and yet I felt like I was making a difference in Education in a way that I wasn’t able to as a classroom teacher.

Around this same time, several of my essays and articles were published in the local paper and several magazines.  A children’s novel began nudging me also and so I wrote My Other Dad, a story about a young girl’s search for her biological father, which I co-published with a small press in Tennessee.  I began several novels and short stories but had little time or energy to focus on bringing these projects to completion.

Life was good.  I was busy.   My creative gifts were fully realized in my career, and I was happy with my new church family in Massachusetts.  But something was missing.  I realized (among other things) that my life had become somewhat isolated.  I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend or a husband.  At the ripe old age of 35, I had completely given up on that.  So I took a risk and placed this personal ad in a local newspaper:

“The road less traveled is my path. Loving, attractive SWF, 35, with passion for water, words, children, laughter, altars, music and theatre.  Seeks creative, compassionate, fun companion for the journey. Will you join me?”

(Yes, that’s how we did it back in 1991. No online dating sites.  We actually took out classifieds in the paper!)

My dear husband Jeff?  He was Bachelor #7.  What a surprise!

Now, almost 20 years later,  having made it through a life-changing experience with breast cancer, I find myself seeking an additional type of partner.

See, my life is now rich and rewarding.  I am cancer-free.  My days are filled with an abundance of family and friends, both online and offline.  Jeff’s children have graced us with the absolute sweetest grandchildren on the face of the earth (Ok, now I’m bragging!).  I love wearing bright colors, trying out new kinds of dark chocolate, and traveling with Jeff.  I even live close to an Indian place that has the best Chicken Korma. Not only that, I also get to connect with amazing women who are on the spiritual journey with breast cancer also.  I am so blessed.

So this, dear reader, is the personal ad I extend to you…

“The road less traveled is my path. Loving, creative, 8-year breast cancer survivor seeks authentic, compassionate women to embark on their own spiritual journey through breast cancer. Will you join me?”

Yes — I’d like to join you Anne Marie…

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