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About the Book
The Gift of Presence
When a stroke leaves Jenn comatose and clinging to life just days before her thirty-first birthday, she and her family face an overwhelming and painful journey. As they struggle to grasp what happened, to move forward and heal, they discover an unexpected gift: how to be present in times of uncertainty while holding onto hope and the power of family and community to sustain them through these challenging times.
Structured as diary entries, this poignant memoir shares memories from each family member as they walk together through this profoundly life-changing event, grapple with grief, and learn to look for silver linings: gratitude, intentional time together, and the closeness of family and friends to help them heal. Even before her stroke these values were ingrained in Jenn. She was a motivational speaker on wellness and self-care, created her own content, and taught a six-week course called “Lead Your Life.”
Currently, she and her family share a very personal and intimate time of their lives in the hope that those who are struggling with similar experiences of loss and change will find connection, solace, and the courage to overcome even the greatest challenges.
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Hummingbird
The name Amanda Goldman, Jenn’s sister, gave to Jenn for her ability to defy expectations and chart her own path. A hummingbird can fly backwards.
Jennbug
Jenn’s nickname when she was young, written in Sanskrit and tattooed on the back of Amanda Goldman’s leg.
Rose
Jenn’s favorite flower, her middle name, her company name, and a main ingredient in many of her teas and oils. Like Jenn, the rose is fragrant, divine, pure, and
Caryn’s Dogwood
The tree outside her house that provided her with ongoing strength and inspiration.
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About the Authors
Caryn Meg Hirshleifer & Jennifer Rose Goldman
Caryn Meg Hirshleifer
Caryn Meg Hirshleifer is a co-owner of Hirshleifers, a highly successful fifth-generation luxury retail business located in Manhasset, New York, where she serves as general counsel as well as in the self-described roles of store historian, store philosopher, and staff nurturer. Before that, she worked as an attorney in New York City government, including her time as general counsel to the New York City Fire Department and, before that, as general counsel to Mayor Koch’s Office of Homelessness. When not at work, Caryn is reading, writing, or practicing riffs on her electric Fender Mustang bass guitar.
Caryn also sits on the Board of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
Jennifer Rose Goldman
Before her stroke, Jennifer Rose Goldman, a 2013 graduate of Skidmore College with a joint degree in religion and philosophy, founded and served as CEO of Essential Rose, an aromatherapy beauty brand that she started in her college dormitory room. Essential Rose packaged and sold teas and skin-care products for inner, rather than outer, beauty. A motivational speaker on wellness and self-care, she created her own content and taught a six-week course called “Lead Your Life.” Jenn is passionate about all things spiritual and loves discovering any new modalities she can immerse herself in.
Illustrations by Amanda Gwen Goldman
Amanda Gwen Goldman
Amanda Gwen Goldman, younger sister of Jenn and daughter of Caryn, has a passion for mixing colors and integrating textural elements into her drawings. The book illustrations are complex and gritty and speak to the dialectic between the beauty and lightness of her color presentation as contrasted with the rugged texture reflecting the heaviness under which the illustrations were conceived.
Amanda also loves the artistry of fashion and is dedicated to finding justice and would ultimately like to help falsely incarcerated prisoners.
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