Life Transitions with Peggy Nolan

Peggy Nolan is happily remarried ever after to Richard, who just happened to be her first boyfriend in high school. After 25 years, they reconnected when Richard “found” Peggy on Classmates.com. She is the mom of two, bonus mom of four, and grandmother of two.

Peggy is the founder of www.thestepmomstoolbox.com and The Stepmom’s Toolbox Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio. You can connect with Peggy at The Stepmom’s Toolbox or you can read her love letters at www.serendipitysmiles.com.

Best Life Transition:

The day I said, “I Do” to the love of my life, Richard Nolan. We met in 1980 and were high school sweethearts. He broke up with me, I graduated and moved on (he was a year behind me). I hadn’t heard from him in 25 years! After high school, I got married, had kids, and got divorced after 19 years. Richard got married, had kids and got divorced after 17 years. In April 2006, Richard found me on Classmates.com and sent me an email. The rest is history…we got married on Sept. 22, 2006 and we are happily remarried ever after!

Most Challenging Life Transition:

The most challenging life transition isn’t the breast cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy, surgery, or losing your hair. The most challenging transition is when I was no longer surrounded by a team of doctors, nurses and my posse. When my year of treatment was over, I was kicked out of the nest without any directions or even a compass. For 15 months my life revolved around doctors’ appointments, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, three surgeries and reconstruction. When it was over, I felt adrift and untethered. Everyone was moving on but not me. I still had to deal with the real fear “what if it comes back?” Gradually, I kicked my fears to the curb and got on with living my best life.

Best Advice You Received During a Life Transition:

“No decision is ever permanent.” – My 18 year old daughter said that to me as my marriage to her father ended in divorce. Because of that gentle reminder, I was able to make a few course corrections (ok, U-turns) on some poor choices and decisions. My daughter’s advice is still as solid today as it was back in 2002!

Most Important Lesson Learned from a Life Transition:

The sun will continue to rise; the earth will continue to spin; and life does and will go on. In my most trying times through divorce and breast cancer, I had references to this lesson taped on my bathroom mirror. It helped me not to wallow too long!

Best Way to Think about Life Transitions:

Life transitions are tests without the lessons.

What Makes Life Transitions Easier for You:

Life Transitions are just that – life transitions. They are neither good nor bad unless we assign good or bad to them. My divorce was bad until I decided my ex gave me the best gift ever – he gave me my life back. Breast cancer was neither good nor bad but I did choose to look at it as another lesson I was supposed to learn. Remarriage is neither good nor bad; however, I choose to believe it’s really, really good…and it did come with a few tests without the lesson plan! Being a stepmom is one of the hardest jobs out there! Complex, complicated, and often filled with chaos.

Connect with Peggy:

Website: www.thestepmomstoolbox.com

Twitter: @toolboxgirl

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheStepmomsToolbox

Read articles by Peggy…

Deana Ryan

Deana Ryan is the co-founder of The Life Change Network. Not being someone who was born naturally embracing the positives of life transitions, she understands that this may be a perspective that people have to work to develop. She enjoys helping others build skill sets and strategies to make life transitions easier. She is also the creator of the My Birthing Zone natural childbirth education program. She has a passion for working with pregnant moms and their partners, teaching them mind body techniques they can use to support themselves before, during and after natural birth.

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