Reinventing Myself

In January 2020, when Jan was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 81, she gathered her four sons to share the news with them. Soon after, she realized that the history she had been creating of her own life, from birth to the present day, which she had been working on in various writing groups, finally had a clear reason for existing. "It wasn't just for me anymore, to reminisce and play with and wrestle to the page; it should become a gift to my sons, perhaps a final way of letting them know who I am, who I have been, and what legacy, if any, I might leave for them and their families to learn from and enjoy." In fact, Jan is pretty sure she has at least a few friends and acquaintances who might also be interested in reading this memoir. That said, she is not so full of herself that she thinks the world cannot live without her, although at some point it will find out if this is actually possible. In the meantime, as she says, "I suppose I have lived an unusual life, full of unexpected circumstances, especially for a woman in our society, and that there may be some inspiration somewhere for a young girl to think bigger than she may have otherwise allowed herself to do." Each of us looking to share our stories must delve backward into the historic timeline of our family ancestry and use it to provide context for how we came to be who we are today. As Jan says, "I have tried my best to relate the history of my family's brave, courageous actions, which I inherited, and which played a central role in own capacity meet my challenges, one hundred years later! I found my new pathway to re-enter my memoir and now may I invite you to embark on this journey with me at your side. Bon voyage!"Jan is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and The Temple University Law School, which she began at age 45. She is the proud mother of four children and the grandmother of 14 grandchildren.