When I was a young girl, I secretly wanted to be a superhero. I read comic books and science fiction novels and dreamed of far off places. I longed for superpowers to fight for “truth, justice…..and all that stuff” (in the words of a contemporary Superman).

When I grew up that secret longing pulled me into public service where I could work for truth and justice even if I couldn’t leap tall buildings in a single bound or slay dragons. A career in the U.S. Department of State afforded me other opportunities for adventures though they didn’t involve warp speed or lightsabers.

I saw a lot of this world and never turned away an opportunity to try something new or experience something different.  I fell off a horse at the pyramids in Egypt, learned rode a motorcycle, achieved a brown belt in judo, swam with sting rays in the Caribbean, saw a full solar eclipse in Nicaragua, taught motorcycling to Marines, became a master scuba diver, saw Mt. Everest from the air……and more.

Along the way I acquired cats and a love of Star Wars. My secret desire to be a superhero became a not-so-secret desire to be a Jedi. And cats – who I do think are true Jedi – started with one kitten as a gift many years ago and has become a passion leading me into volunteering for cat rescue organizations as a foster, adoption counselor, and educator. I’ve had 14 cats of my own over the years with more than 70 foster cats and kittens having come through my house.

During all this, coaching found me. Now my “fight” is to help people talk about and prepare for death and dying, to understand what a gift being prepared is to ourselves and to those we leave behind, and to deal with the grief that comes with the loss of a pet. This is my superpower.

But in the end what really matters goes back to my basic desire as a kid – to help others find their own “truth and justice” and to close out their lives knowing they have left a legacy that will live on after them. That is their superpower.

I am a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and a licensed facilitator in the Before I Go Method of end-of-life planning. One of my passions is helping pet owners deal with the illness or loss of a pet and the grief that follows.