I met Donna and Norma at a very bad time in my life. I was 37 yrs old, and a recently divorced mother of two. Having a disabled child puts a huge strain on a marriage, and ours was no exception. After thirteen years together, my husband left me for another woman, citing my weight gain (from an 8 to an 18) as his reason for “no longer loving me.”

Needless to say, this kind of blow would be tough to overcome for anyone! It’s pretty safe to say that I lacked confidence in myself and had no idea of my self-worth for many months.

I met Donna and Norma at Oakbrook Center, where I had been to karaoke night. I love to sing, and it was a wonderful feeling to be told that I had talent! It wasn’t long before I was singing in the choir every week at Oak Brook, and loving every minute of it!

Not long after we became friends, I poured my heart out to both of them. I still remember Donna telling me, “Girl, you are a catch! And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!” I started to feel like perhaps my ex-husband was just blind, and had missed the treasures I held inside. One day, I mentioned to Donna how envious I was of her modeling career and she decided to do a mini photo shoot for me. I dressed up in some of her clothes, and allowed her to pose me and take photos. I saw myself in those photos as others saw me, and I actually liked what I saw!

After a few years of friendship, I started implementing the teachings of the science of mind in my life. One day, there was a project at Oakbrook to guide you through the making of a mind-map. I started to dream again. I started to believe that maybe there was someone out there who would love me for me! I remember writing down all of my desired attributes of a perfect partner, placing it in my drawer, and releasing it to the Universe.

It has been said that you can’t expect anyone else to love you if you don’t love yourself. I do believe that some level of self-love is necessary before you can truly open up your heart to another. I was about as low as you can get when I met Donna and Norma, but by the time the love of my life and I crossed paths, I was able to open my heart to him- mainly because of my newfound self-worth!

For the past three years I have enjoyed the best relationship I’ve ever had! I know that it would not have been possible for me to open my heart to someone again if not for the loving friendship and rebuilt self-esteem I enjoyed- thanks to Donna and Norma!