Yesterday was a fun-filled day of parties for my family. We had my neighbor’s holiday party, followed by my son’s school holiday party. There were chocolates, candy, pinyatas and good festive fun. My hubby was on “Daddy duty” all day, because I had my yearly women’s luncheon for Breast Cancer Research: “Women of Action, Pink Lady Fund.” Each year, three outstanding women in our community are honored for their accomplishments and tireless dedication to their work and community, and for being “a women of action.” The highlight of the event, is always the guest speaker. The event is only a few years old, but over the past few years, we have seen the likes of Marianne Pearl (who was portrayed by Angelina Jolie in the movie A Mighty Heart), Margaret Trudeau (former wife of our former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who suffered with mental illness), and Jeannette Walls (author of the best-selling book, The Glass Castle).

Angeline Jolie in A Mighty Heart

Each year, the stories get better and better, and are exceptionally moving. This year was no different. I knew we were going to be hearing speaker Leslie Morgan Steiner, author of Mommy Wars and Crazy Love. I had not read her books, and only briefly read her story. I knew that she had graduated from two ivy league schools (Harvard and Wharton). A smart, beautiful woman with a  career on the rise. Brought up in a financially comfortable and loving family. She had the world by the tail… that is, until she married a violently abusive man and entered into a life of hell for four years .

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