Friend Friday - Meet Edie Cortese!

On Fridays, I’m going to introduce you to my friends–one at a time.

I’m going to do this because I believe when we are introduced to someone with words from the heart, they become a part of our community. Our community grows. Our circle of care extends.

I love meeting someone, learning about their dreams or needs and feeling into whether I have something to offer. I love connecting people. I love helping others take the next right step in their lives.

So, I’m going to introduce you to people I love. And it may inspire you. You may have something to offer. You may have a message for someone I introduce. He or she may have something to offer you. I want to offer the dance of connection. I want to grow a community that is steeped in love and inclusivity and care.

I met Edie in a writing class with Bruce Gelfand (http://www NULL.brucegelfand NULL.com) about four years ago. I loved her writing immediately. And I knew I would love her too. There was something so accessible and honest about her — something tender too — and it poured through her writing.

I remember thinking that she was a little shy but also, in the next minute, thinking she was crazy strong and determined and could do whatever she set herself to do.

It wasn’t until Edie and I found ourselves in a day long writing retreat together that we actually looked across the room and simultaneously thought, “I need to know her.”

Edie was the one who took action. She called me to ask if I’d be willing to listen to chapters of a book she was writing as she wrote it. She wanted feedback along the way. The book was called “A Thousand Years of Vince Vaughn.” I LOVED the title and knew I would love working with her in this way. So, yes! I was there in a heartbeat.

Those next weeks were a blast. I’d show up and she’d read and I’d CHEER. The book was great. I couldn’t wait for the next chapter. It was fun and sexy and original. I was gulping it up.  She busted the book out and was done in a matter of months. She was unstoppable.

We rapidly became friends. Edie was one of the original Hello Love Experiment (http://www NULL.helloloveexperiment NULL.org)group. She cheered me on as I unfolded the idea of the Hello Love practice. And at one of our group meetings when someone jokingly threw out the idea of a Cross Country Hello Love Tour, it was Edie who really said “Why not?” And then it was Edie who was responsible for  organizing a huge part of the tour –hotels and money and tour stops.

Here’s another wonderful thing about Edie. The following list is just a sampling of what Edie has done since I met her almost 4 years ago: Written a novel, worked in construction management, dog-walking, tap dancing lessons, singing lessons, became a certified yoga teacher, completely gutted and designed and built a yoga studio called Shakti Box (http://www NULL.shaktibox NULL.com), participated in the Hello Love Tour and Experiment, worked with at least 10 amazing teacher/healer/body-workers all of whom required a lot of intense self-reflection and deep letting go, guitar lessons…..I could go on. She is up for anything. She says YES. She is willing to dive in and get excited and give almost anything a try.

Also, she was my true tea buddy during my pregnancy with Dylan and throughout his first year. I can’t tell you how much it meant to have someone drop by on a regular basis when I was barely leaving the house to just talk and drink tea. She drinks English Breakfast and I drink Earl Grey. (Leave lots of room for cream!)

But here’s the thing, community!! Here’s what’s making me CRAZY! Edie’s book is WONDERUL! It needs to be published. People have wanted to publish it but somewhere along the line Vince Vaughn’s people caught wind of the book and got all the wrong ideas. It’s nothing but a huge CELEBRATION and LOVE FEST for Vince Vaughn. He should do a movie of it right now. But in this world of who knows who…we need someone to CHAMPION this book for Edie!! Who knows Vince Vaughn? Who can let him know it would only be PURE SWEETNESS for him if it was published. (We’re trying to avoid the whole suing thing).

Let’s do a six degrees of separation here…

This book needs to be out in the world. And soon!

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