Judy submitted her bio in a beautiful artistic format, complete with photos. Problem is, I was not able to import it into the blog format. I have copied and pasted the text below, and may be able to add the photos at another time. In the meantime, you can Download Judy Kennedy's Bio to access that artistic presentation of Judy's story. Be sure to give it a minute to load. KD
A journey in progress....
“Life is either an exciting adventure or nothing at all” Helen Keller
Dear Friends,
It is with much regret that I will not be able to join you at our 50th reunion. We will be moving to Provincetown on Cape Cod that week and my daughter is riding in the MS 150 that weekend. I hope it is wonderful and you enjoy seeing old friends and taking note of the joy of being alive. I will miss you all!! After graduation from Milby, I married Bill Alford (Milby class of ‘57) and had two baby daughters within 11 months of each other. We lived in Glenbrook Valley, River Plantation, 1960 area, and South Briarhollow in Post Oak. Our family life was filled with school, travel and much fun. Bill worked for an oil company and I went back to school at Sam Houston State, commuting from Houston and graduating in 1974.
Education becomes a big thing in my life:
I taught school at Spring High School for 5 years. Loved it, loved it. I developed a psychology curriculum and won an award as teacher of the year in Texas in individualized instruction. I volunteered for Crisis Hotline for 5 years and became very interested in helping people make sense of their lives. I received my masters in Marriage and Family therapy from the University of Houston Clear Lake and went on to the doctoral program in Psychology at U of H central campus. I finished my Ph.D. in 1988.
Big Changes
In the late 80’s some big changes were in store for me. Bill and I ended our marriage, I finished school, our older daughter Shelli, got married and moved to Philly, our younger daughter Stacie had Katie our first grandchild and I decided to move to Seattle all in the same year. I started my practice in Seattle and met new friends, had a great life full of travel and fun, had a great business and fell in love with Chris, my husband. He’s a New Yorker and has the travel bug too. In 2002 we moved to Florida (Why? the story is way too long but mostly about a New Yorker wanting to go back to the East Coast!!)
You can’t go home again...
Florida was not our cup of tea in large part due to surviving three hurricanes with evacuations, etc. Also we were told that my daughter, Stacie in Houston might have a MS diagnosis. We decided to move to Austin, Texas to be closer. We have really enjoyed living in Austin catching up with family and friends, especially my cousin Glenda Grant (Milby, class of 56’)
Good News
Stacie is doing well. She is married and having a wonderful life. Katie is off to college, my grandson Winston just got accepted to NYU and my granddaughter Grace has been accepted at Choate for the fall. Chris and I visited Cape Cod this Christmas and fell in love with Provincetown. We bought the first house we looked at. It was one of those experiences where you walk in and say this is my house!!
The Best for Last
I have been studying Buddhism for the last 20 years and am lucky enough to have Jack Kornfield as my teacher. I teach meditation and as well as continue a busy practice as a psychologist and management consultant. I travel to Seattle once a month to see clients there. Chris and I both served as Eucharistic Ministers at St. James Cathedral in Seattle. I am lucky to have wonderful friends, daughters, Shelli and Stacie, June, a psychiatrist in Seattle, Glenda here in Austin and my BFF Karla who I just reconnected with after all these years!! When I saw her it’s as if we hadn’t been apart at all. We are so lucky to have her dedication and talent to bring the blog to us. What better way to be able to have a glimpse into all our lives. Karla, I love you and can’t thank you enough!
I can’t end without including mention of my two dogs, Namo and Bella. What joy they bring. I also am a bit of a watercolor artist. I will never be a Picasso but it brings me a great deal of satisfaction
Doris Lentz Simmons--I am so sorry to miss you. I love you and hope your life is good. Come visit!
Paul--You are incredible and we will definitely connect.
Much love to all and blessings for a good life.
Judy
CLICK HERE to return to the top of the main section after reading comments below, and/or making your own comment
Judy, I was so disappointed to discover that you were not going to be at our reunion! Since we had so recently spoken on the phone, to say it was heartbreaking news would be pretty accurate, since I was really expecting you to be there...but, that's just life, right! I wish you all the best that life has to offer. Tell me, are you becoming a Buddhist? What is it like? I remember you as a Methodist (HA)! No, seriously, I admire you for all of your accomplishments and would just love to have had the chance to hug your neck!
Love,
Linda
Posted by: Linda McKnight Thomason | July 01, 2011 at 07:56 PM