Never Better: All Things Considered is a collection of writings by Sally A. Connolly. Connolly is a retired school counselor and teacher. In 2006, she collected the writings of her late husband, Dr. Eugene Connolly into “A Boy from Lawrence” which met with high praise. This is Connolly's turn to write of trying to regain life after losing her beloved husband.
Connolly had kept a journal in her youth, only to abandon it in the busyness of adult life. After her husband's death, she returned to keeping a record of her days as a means of coping with the profound change in her life. The teacher in her reared its head and she soon decided that she wanted to share her writings. As she states, “What good is knowledge or insight or opinions if you can't share them?” She timidly sent articles to the editor of her local paper. Before long, she was a contributing columnist and a writer was born. Connolly has some good advice to offer others suffering from a major loss in their lives. “Accepting widowhood, I have learned, can be made easier. By grabbing onto your skills and using them, you can begin to work through the crisis. So, to those just beginning their own journey of healing I say: Find an interest and launch a project. Paint a picture, sew a quilt . . . listen to your heart, treasure the good memories, and face the future with courage.” Writing was Connolly's project.
The essays in “Never Better” run the gamut of topics, from her own childhood to parenting to music to encouraging success, to more local topics that Connolly wrote about for the Danvers (MA) Herald. While the more local topics do not have widespread appeal, there are some wonderful articles in the mix that speak to the universal aspects of life that we all share. Connolly even tells of a couple of miracles that have occurred in her family's life!
“Never Better” will bring hope to widows that they can follow Connolly's example and keep going. Life does continue. While there will still be moments of hurt, joy does eventually return.
To find out more, visit Never Better: All Things Considered
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