If I were to start at the beginning I would tell you that on a cold January night in 1938 I was born. I am lucky 7, of 8 children, to a Mom whose husband could not handle what they had wrought so deserted the whole pack of us. My worst memories of early childhood are the sirens and blackout curtains and the warden knocking on the door at night to make sure all was well.

 The most fun was Mom would sit at the piano and play, and we would harmonize. And as we grew older and each child chose an instrument to play in school we would add the cornet, trumpet, clarinet, etc to the mix.

The most fun was Mom would sit at the piano and play, and we would harmonize. And as we grew older and each child chose an instrument to play in school we would add the cornet, trumpet, clarinet, etc to the mix.

My hometown is Eastham, on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. It is that tiny little town and a plucky Mom that shaped me. Every one of the 10 kids from 3 towns who were in my high school college course got to go to the college of their choice, which included Harvard, Brown, and for me, St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. I was the scholarship and loans and work your way through kid, the only one of my siblings to go to college. Unfortunately, I broke my back soon after graduating from high school and had to wait a year of healing to attend SLU. I had to sign a document promising not to do any activity more strenuous than canoeing- this at a college which owns its own ski slopes. Most of my spare time I spent working, except for singing with the Laurentian Singers and leading an all campus champion octet.

The foundation for who I was to become happened in my 11^th year. It was a year of great change. Puberty was present, and strange and unusual impulses warred with my saner self. My Mom sat me down and said, “Helen, every young girl dreams about her prince charming, who will come and sweep her away on his white stallion. Well, I’m here to tell you, there is no such thing as a prince charming. There is a Princess Charming and she is YOU.” I tell this truth to the high school girls I mentor, to the ladies in my addictions groups, and, frankly, to those who have ears to hear truth.

I had wanted to be a social worker for most of my life so graduated in 1960 with a B.A.in Sociology and History. Then got married, started having kids and working in my husband’s tiny trucking company. Our office was in our home so it was easy to be a stay at home Mom, nurturing 3 children, running the office and taking a college course for fun at least one semester a year. When the kids were old enough to go to school I went with them and taught for 2 years. I was also very community oriented. Sold real estate for awhile, became an auctioneer and lost my shirt, and created a mail order business called Especially New England.  Was an officer on the Board of Directors of the Metrosouth Chamber of Commerce, and several others. Meanwhile our company was expanding. By 1981 the kids were grown and we moved our business to a commercial industrial site. We had 30 plus or minus employees and many trucks our own, lots of equipment, plus hired trucks when needed, our own gravel pit and the contractors yard. I loaded trucks at the yard for several years. At that point I took over the reins, and ran Casoli Sand & Gravel, Inc. until my retirement in 1995.

I had left a business and a husband. Soon I’m off to graduate school. 40 years after receiving my B.A. I walked across the stage at Lesley (College) University with a Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The year was 2000. I subsequently worked in a prison, in mental health day care and as a counselor with addicted and dually diagnosed clients. I’ve worked with abused women since 1991 and currently counsel pro bono. I wish every young person could be taught the cycle of violence.

My lifelong interest in drama manifested when I was asked to read my original fairytale, “The Legend of S. Claus” at the local coffeehouse. I was thrilled to play the schoolteacher in a play written by Pulitzer prize winner David Lindsay-Abair, “Waiting for Dr. Huggus.”

Retirement is a fun time. I’m surrounded by kids and great grandkids. I am here in Ormond Beach, enjoying life and dreaming of Cape Cod in the summer.