Heart Matters: Losing Everything and Moving on - Hardcover

Van Den Berg, Deborah; Greta Van Den Berg

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1466958626 ISBN 13: 9781466958623

Publisher: Trafford Publishing, 2012

Synopsis

When your life is in crisis, it won't last forever.

About this title

From the Author:

I wrote this book because I wish to share my life's experiences, especially the events that have taken place over the last three years and how I have grown. I am not a writer, by any means, but I had a greater force urging me to get my recent life experiences on paper. My life in the last three years has been an unbelievable journey with a great deal of healing along the way. Maybe I can help someone else. Just writing my book has been somewhat therapeutic for me. I currently live Alabama, moved from Arizona in the last year. I am divorced and I  have lost both of my parents, but somehow I can still make the journey and it's getting easier.

I was born in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until my teen years, then my dad was transferred to Alabama, where I lived for the next thirty-plus years. I moved to Arizona, after retired, in 2009, where my husband and I built a dream home, then everything started crashing, one by one, until I lost everything, including who I was. 

I have lots of talents, hobbies, and blessings from God. At the fine age of sixty, I remain active. Scuba diving is one hobby, walking, riding my bicycle and I hope to get involved in Yoga.  One day a month I get the pleasure of teaching art class, mostly mosaics and hopefully will be able to teach different avenues of art.  Working with wood has been my newest hobby.

About the Author:

       Deborah Van Den Berg  was born in Detroit, Michigan, the youngest of three. The family lived there until the 1960's, after which her father moved them all to Alabama. When Deborah's parent's divorced in the mid-1970's, Deborah remained with her mother in Alabama, a blessing since her father had been physically abusing her since she was a very young girl.

During the years of abuse, Deborah's mother refused to acknowledge what was happening, creating a rift that continued until her mother's death in 2011. This passing came at a time when she was also going through a third divorce, this one from a seventeen year marriage to a man she had expected to grow old with. The couple had just finished building their dream house in Arizona. Instead of putting the house on the market and heading back to the safety of Alabama, Deborah chose to work through her grief, living alone and seeking counseling to help her through the trauma of the loss of her mother and her marriage.
 
The effects of the abuse have been a continual marker in Deborah's life, encouraging her to grow past the lingering devastation and trauma.  The writing of this book has helped her to release the hurt and sadness of her younger years and given her a new lease on life.

Deborah's interests center around scuba diving, gardening and art. She has pursued several artistic projects such as stained glass, mosaic, and painting and has now added hiking to her list.

About this edition

• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1466958626
• ISBN 13: 9781466958623
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 152