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My husband, Gene, and I recently visited the small northern California town where we lived during
an incredibly busy and "out there" part of our lives. I spent all of my 40's, as well as a few
months on either side, living, loving, and growing in this little town. It, and the deep friendships
Gene and I on the California
coast. I love the ocean!
we have there, still make my heart sing. In Nevada City, our lives were filled with four teenagers,
their countless activities and friends, four dogs, various cats, our own vocations and avocations
including my first foray into writing. At a large party we attended during our last visit, the
differences between my former life and the one I now lead in Colorado were brought into humorous
focus by a smiling woman who came up to me and asked, "Didn't you used to be Sue Thoele?"
Yep, still Sue Thoele! Just an older, quieter, calmer version. Generally speaking, I used to be more
extroverted than introverted, more talkative than quiet, more restless than content, more driven
than satisfied, more self-critical than self-loving, more needy than grateful, and busier than a
cranberry merchant at Christmastime, as my dad put it. Thanks to a combination of age, intention,
and circumstances, life is simpler and I have become gentler with myself and others. While I
wouldn't trade my hectic, energy-accelerated earlier years for anything in the world, right
now I am incredibly grateful to be able to move through my days at a quieter, calmer pace.
Writing made me sit down and shut up and, as a result, helped me become aware of the desire to
move from an over-busy lifestyle to a more balanced one. I actually didn't begin writing until
all four kids were either in college or on their own. In fact, I was forty-five when the Muse
grabbed me by the back of the neck and wouldn't let go no matter how much I resisted.
And resist I did! However, my first book,
The Courage To Be Yourself, seemed to have a mind of its own
and simply would not let me rest until I was totally committed to it. By the time the original
book was completed, I was passionate about writing. Since I'd had a private psychotherapy
practice for many years, it felt natural to write about issues similar to those with which
my clients and I grappled.
My Staff - Riley and Lily
This is the office where I write. As you can see, my "staff," Riley and Lily, make themselves
right at home. This picture shows them blessing preliminary notes for The Mindful Woman with
their presence.
I am incredibly blessed to be able to do work I love and to have the support of Gene, without
whom I would never have become an author. We--well, really he--self-published The Courage To
Be Yourself, stacked the first 5,000 copies in our itty bitty garage, and hand delivered two
and three copies at a time to local bookstores before the book was eventually picked up by a
"real" publisher. To this day, Gene continues to do all the heavy lifting, paper and financial
work, schlepping of author to speaking engagements, and has enduring patience with the
weirdness-of-wife-while-writing phases I inevitably go through while working. He is my rock….
and he makes me laugh.
Each of us plays many roles and works in different arenas during a lifetime. Below are a few roles
I've played and some of the work I've done. Several I still do and others seem as if they existed
in another time and space.
Me on the Bimini Road.
Wife, divorcee, wife again ... still "wife again"
Mom, single mom, stepmom ... once a mom of any kind, always a mom
Grandmother, mentor ... love these roles
Myriad acting roles in community theater ... now do some Reader's Theater
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Author
Psychotherapist in private practice
Public/Keynote Speaker
Seminar/Group/Retreat Leader
Hospice Chaplain, Trainer &
Counselor
Director of a Counseling Center
High School and Adult Ed teacher
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The Courage To Be Yourself
The Woman's Book of Courage
Autumn of the Spring Chicken
The Woman's Book of
Confidence
Freedoms After 50
The Woman's Book of Spirit
The Courage To Be A Stepmom
The Woman's Book of Soul
Heart Centered Marriage
Growing Hope
The Mindful Woman
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This is me in the Atlantic Ocean off the island of
Bimini where I go almost every year. Swimming
in the beautiful, clear water with the joyous and friendly wild dolphins
is not only a lot of fun but also
an experience that unfailingly restores my soul.
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