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.
ā Frederick Buechner
Anne Marie Bennett, 53, is a freelance writer, self-taught collage artist, website inner-preneur, SoulCollageĀ® facilitator and seven-year breast cancer survivor. Early on her breast cancer journey, she vowed to herself that breast cancer would be ājust one more interesting thingā about her, and she has proven this to be true.
There was no history of breast cancer in Anne Marieās family, so her diagnosis in December 2001 was a shock to everyone. Her immediate response was fear and depression, but she called upon a treasure trove of resources, both inner and outer, to keep her on the ābright sideā during two lumpectomies, a lymph node dissection, three months of chemotherapy, and forty-two radiation treatments.
Anne Marie graduated in 1978 from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, and went on to teach second grade for six years in Virginia. Her career then led her to a position as consultant for an educational software company in New England, followed by a role as District Trainer for the same company. During this time she wrote and published a childrenās novel, My Other Dad (under her maiden name Anne Pacheco).
After taking a break from her educational career to focus on her new husband and three stepchildren, Anne Marieās journey led her back to her first love of writing and art. She dabbled in mixed media collage and began working on several writing projects. In the midst of this creative work came the interruption of breast cancer which slowed her down, but only just a little bit!
The breast cancer diagnosis helped Anne Marie to clarify her purpose in life, and she has focused on her writing and art ever since. She is now a facilitator of SoulCollageĀ®, an intuitive art process that helps deepen inner wisdom and self-esteem. She leads SoulCollageĀ® workshops and retreats in the Northeast. She has used SoulCollageĀ® as a tool to assist her in healing from the emotional impact that breast cancer had on her life. Her website, KaleidoSoul.com, has had a major influence on the burgeoning interest in SoulCollageĀ® worldwide.
Anne Marie lives in Beverly, Massachusetts with her middle-aged husband (also a cancer survivor), two elderly cats and one playful dog who keeps all of them young. She is happiest when she is reading, writing, breathing salt air, dancing, and hugging her beautiful grandchildren.