Never Better has been named an award-winning finalist in the Women’s Issues category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News.

In the United States today, most women live without a spouse. Not all of

them, however, have chosen to be members of this majority. In Never Better,

Ms. Connolly shares her acceptance of being single once again after the loss

of her husband of thirty-seven years. Her journey toward renewal both

enlightens and entertains. In her book she gives voice to the spirit for

survival that lies deep in the human psyche.

"Never Better is an inspiring book on the transition from loss to renewal." — Marie Cassidy, Director, Medford Family Network

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER A Boy from Lawrence A Teacher’s Gift Surviving Widowhood: My First Year It’s June in January How Fickle Our Weather Single Again, and Rediscovering Joy

My All-Time Favorite

FAMILY TIES Hope and a High Risk Pregnancy Marking a Milestone: One Pregnancy at a Time With Goodness and Mercy On the Path of Righteousness

THE SONG IS YOU

Sisters, Sisters Lighting Up My Life The Melody Lingers On At Long Last Love Shall We Dance

Memories Are Made of This The One that Got Away

FRIENDLY PERSUASION We’re All Winners ABC’s of Success A Better Life through Literacy

TIME ON MY HANDS The Awakening Home for the Holidays Some Things Never Change The Wonderful World of Technology And the Song Plays On How Sweet It Is Lost at Sea: Gone, Fishing Consumer Alert: Dangerous Magnetic Toys Dangerous Toys Still for Sale Another Bearer of Bad News Lifting the Veil and Removing the Scars

You’ve Changed (Not) Answering the Call to Duty Wiping Out a Rumor Leave the Driving to Me

What's for Dinner?

A PASSION FOR DECENCY The Good Old Days My Personal Lifeguard In Loco Parentis Safeguarding Our Students Letter to the Editor: The Fetish Fair Letter to the Editor: Preventing Partial Births In the Beginning

EPILOGUE APPENDIX A APPENDIX B

READERS’ COMMENTS

A dive into her own psyche, Never Better: All Things Considered is deftly written and highly recommended for self-help collections and for any woman who has lost their husband.

— Midwest Book Review

This personal collection of essays and opinions provides insight into the author’s life transitions. After a long and happy marriage, Sally Connolly encounters the sudden realization of life without her soul mate, partner and best friend. Through her writing, she is able to deal with loss and a renewed spirit. This is very much a terrific self-help book for those who may be experiencing similar loss. The writing is thoughtful, insightful and honest. In some ways the book is reminiscent in style to Andre Dubus’ Meditations from a Movable Chair. Like a personal journal, Sally Connolly offers her reflections and occasional thoughts for all to enjoy and maybe share some insight in our own daily routines and circumstances.

— Dogdayspress

This book is a perfect companion piece to her first book, A Boy from Lawrence: The Collected Writings of Eugene F. Connolly, which was reviewed here on Myshelf. Each entry is a look inside the experiences of Sally's emotional roller coaster, and bestows a touch of divine grace to the reader. . . . In the writing of this work, Ms. Connolly gives our feelings and emotions validity, and allows us, through her experiences, to know that we are not alone in life, grief and sorrow. That alone is worth the price of admission! ENJOY!

-- Laura Stratham Hulka, Myshelf.com

The author does a wonderful job of intertwining the journal entries into the narrative to seamlessly tell her story. . . . At times the reader feels as is he/she is sitting next o the author and working through the grief of loss together. By the end of the book, the reader feels as if the author is a good and trusted friend and it is a shame that their time together has come to an end.

—Writer’s Digest

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. Please tell me about your new book, Never Better?

A. Never Better is a journal of sorts. Through a series of essays, I show how I brought

back both joy and laughter into my life after the loss of my husband of thirty-seven years.

Q. Did writing the book help you to cope with your loss?

A. After my husband’s death two years ago, I experienced a great void, and I longed to

hear his voice once again. I found that voice in his writings. To create a permanent record

for others to enjoy as well, I published A BOY FROM LAWRENCE: The Collected

Writings of Eugene F. Connolly.

But as the year progressed, I continued to search for meaning and a way to use my

time productively. Quite unintentionally, I turned to writing. An amazing sequence of

events involving my daughter, Kelly, and her father’s book prompted me to share her

experience.

I encouraged Kelly to record her story, but that was asking a lot. She had just survived

a high-risk pregnancy, and along with her newborn she had two young daughters. If

anyone was to tell the story, it would have to be me. In “A Teacher’s Gift” I related the

remarkable set of coincidences. The story reached a national audience when it was put on

the newswires. The article was also published in Catholic Digest.

Q. What happened after you wrote this first story?

A. I continued to write articles in order to bring attention to my husband’s book. My

subject matter was any news item that caught my interest. Quite often the topics called

for some research, and I drew upon my background in sociology, social psychology, and

counseling. My community newspaper published many of these articles.

Q. Were your articles published in other places?

A. My essays were picked up by several e-zines, FaithWriters.com, and Catholic.org. A new

literary anthology published my description of the pre-Thanksgiving explosion in my

hometown of Danvers, and a national bereavement magazine, Living with Loss, published

my essay, “Single Again, and Rediscovering Joy.” The Florida newspapers, Senior

Connection/Mature Lifestyle, showcased my lighthearted article, “Shall We Dance.”

Q. Did your book develop from these writings?

A. Never Better ties together these writings and more. The book became a way for me to

wrap up another year in my journey to heal a broken heart. Q. Did you have any other reasons for writing Never Better? A. I have become increasingly conscious of the precious gift of time, and I want to leave

a lasting record for my grandchildren. At some point they will want to know more about

their forebears. When they ask “What was Nanee like?” I want there to be more than

faded photographs.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to say to your readers?

A. The loss of my partner was not part of my life plan. But loss and sadness are part of

the human condition. In all aspects of life, we choose how to react and, better still, how to

act. As the songs says, we can choose to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start

all over again. I hope that my journey will encourage others as they confront their own

challenges.