Endings #1: Friendship Through Divorce, with Suzanne Riss and Jill Sockwell
February 27th
What's a life experience you're holding onto that you wish you could emotionally shut the door on? What's holding you back? Who has helped guide you through growth the most? What positive new tactics or tools did you pick up to battle the tough stuff along the way? And do you wish the situation had never happened to begin with?
On today's show, we launch the first in our series on Endings with Suzanne Riss and Jill Sockwell, authors of The Optimist's Guide to Divorce and founders of the Maplewood Divorce Club. Their friendship formed during a rough period of their lives, morphing into a community set to inspire others going through a kind of ending most hope never to experience.
About The Optimist's Guide to Divorce
“Like having a heart-to-heart with a compassionate, no-nonsense best friend. It's chock-full of wisdom, practical advice, encouragement, and what every woman in the midst of a divorce needs the most: hope.”
—Cynthia L. Copeland, author of Good Riddance
Approximately 1.5 million women untie the knot in America each year. Many of them start the process in January, a month when the divorce rate rises by roughly one-third. Yet the resources available fall surprisingly short in offering the support and sense of understanding that these women need.
Community is the one thing that can turn the shattering experience of divorce into a tolerable and, ultimately, a positive one. Wise, comforting, and uplifting, THE OPTIMIST’S GUIDE TO DIVORCE: How to Get Through Your Breakup and Create a New life You Love (Workman, 2017), captures the experience of sisterhood through the voices of Suzanne Riss, Jill Sockwell, and their community of women in the Maplewood Divorce Club—women who know what it feels like to go through divorce, who understand the practical issues as well as the emotional ones, and who can help the reader keep a sense of hope and a sense of humor. Brimming with insights, valuable resources, from-the-trenches tips, and sanity-saving takeaways, this book prepares the reader for every phase of divorce, from having “the talk,” to breaking the news to family and friends, to figuring out where to live, to coparenting with an ex, to rebounding and rebooting your life.
About Suzanne Riss
SUZANNE RISS is an award-winning writer, former editor in chief of Working Mother magazine, and author of Working Mom Survival Guide. She lives in Maplewood, NJ, with her son. Visit Suzanne online: @suzanneriss.
About Jill Sockwell
JILL SOCKWELL is a former advertising copywriter, top real estate sales agent, leader of the Maplewood Divorce Club, and lifelong optimist. She lives in Maplewood, NJ, with her daughters. Visit Jill online: @jillsockwell.