Presenting

Subscribe at GravitasMag.com | 51 its own set of challenges." When you take people from different backgrounds, cultures and philosophies and blend them all into one family, there are going to be some challenges. We think we did a great job at it, and at the end of the day we're a ver y loving family. But in those teenage years and those growing up years, we were all learning. e outcome was a group of people who maybe didn't start out together, but we sure are finishing together. Now, you're starting a new chapter in your life. I am. You k now, the last few years have taught me that today is the ver y most important place you can be. Before I experienced watching my spouse become ill and then pass away, I was always so goal-driven. I used my histor y to define who I was and then set my sights on the course to where I was going. A nd so, sometimes living in the present was secondar y. What I've learned today, that the goal is to ask myself: A m I happy? A m I nice and k ind? A m I doing what I need to be doing today? is way, I'm not so worried about where I need to be tomorrow. I find that if I do ever y thing I need to do today, then when I wake up in the morning the next day I' ll think to myself, "I've got this." at experience has definitely given me a different perspective. I'm enjoying myself more in the moment. My husband and I were together for quite some time; we were married for over 25 years. I had the joy of being able to leave nothing unsaid. We were ver y much at peace with the direction of where our lives were going , and I am truly blessed for that. You recently bought a condo and moved over to South Tampa. Tell us a little bit about that. I can't even believe that at 57 years old I'm living on my own for the first time ever, and it's so much fun! I had no idea that you could come through the fire and still have the desire to experience new things. I moved from a community that I had been living in for 50-some years and bought my first place all on my own. I k now that makes it sound like I'm a k id, but at this age, it was exciting. I sold a lot of my possessions and went out to find some new things. Sometimes I sit around and look around and go, "Who lives here? Whose house is this? Where's all my stuff ?" But what I think will happen in this next chapter is that with my children, my grandchildren, my friends, we will create a new set of memories. at house will soon have a heart—that's what I'm excited for. Living in a different city gives me a different landscape to look at. I love to get up and run down Bayshore. Ever y day I see something that I didn't see before, and I find it so energizing and exciting. As I've said, I don't k now where I'm heading , but I k now I'm going to have a good time geing there—that is a quote my daughter gave me a long time ago. Do you have a bucket list? I have a short bucket list that I've just come up with. I've decided it's appropriate for a person who has lived in one area for 57 years. I am a Florida girl, and I' ll always call this my home, as it's where I would like to spend most of my time, but I've decided that I need to have new experiences. So, I have decided that when I retire in the far distant future, I am going to live in four cities. I've picked them: I'm going to live in Manhaan in the springtime. In the summer, I will live on Longboat Key. In fall, I' ll live in Tuscany, Italy. A nd then, my winters just might have to be in Napa. D FAVORITES Favorite Song: Hotel California Favorite Movie: The Wizard of Oz Food: Steak and Pasta Favorite Pastime: Playing with grandkids(pictured below), reading, Susan with her daughters

• Cover