I met Connie at a local coffee shop, along with her husband, Sully, who weighed in on ‘Dissecting Happiness’.

At 86, Connie tells me she’s lived a happy life.

She says, “We live through our problems. My life is great because I have a wonderful family.”

But it wasn’t always easy.

I ask if she’s had times where things were difficult.

Yes. The reply is almost instantaneous.

“I’ve had breast cancer at 67, had a mastectomy!”

But she doesn’t even think about it anymore.

“I don’t even know which side is the affected side anymore. It’s just part of life, and of my past. Because, thank God, I survived it, and my life has been wonderful.”

Support is key to resilience, she claims. She has a husband who helps. And also a daughter, who is typically very busy, but was so very supportive while she was going through it all. And her son has been helpful and now wants her to move closer and be in independent living near his family.

Connie embodies resilience. I thank her for allowing me to share her story with all of you.