Overview

In Four Fridays with Christina: Friendship, Death, and Lessons Learned by Letting Go, author Cynthia Barlow explores the nature of life, love, loss, and letting go, inspired by the passing of a dear friend taken by cancer. Barlow travels from her home in Toronto, Canada to Boca de Tomatlan, Mexico, where she spent five winters, and spends four weeks cooking bacon, directing and limiting visitor traffic, giving Christina an anchor to real life as she prepares to leave it. As much as Barlow gives to her adopted big sister, Christina gives back in spades as the author finds a new window and different light shining right into her own soul. Four Fridays with Christina is full of gripping moments, laugh-out-loud reflections, and sassy insights as Barlow chronicles her friend's precious final days and her own perceptions on finding purpose within pain. Bold and insightful, tender and lighthearted, Four Fridays with Christina will take you through the small delights and big decisions, the painful boundaries and celebratory bowel movements, the massive closet clean-out and the final goodbyes on the road to peace. An uplifting story that honors the four Fridays Cynthia spent with her friend and all the profound moments in between, Four Fridays with Christina will leave you feeling more invigorated about life itself-and more grateful for it.

Full Product Details

9781989059500

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Reviews

I read Four Fridays through tears of wonder-it is an unforgettable journey of illumination. You could not ask for a more astute witness to life and death than Cynthia Barlow. -Terri Cheney, author of New York Times bestseller Manic: A Memoir Four Fridays is beautiful and elegantly written. A memoir of deep friendship, loss and love. A must read for every woman rising above their circumstances. -Stephanie Thornton Plymale, bestselling author, American Daughter A powerful read. I found myself laughing, crying, and flipping pages as fast as I could. This is a moving and compelling read. I highly recommend this book. -Maureen Fisher, author, Fur Ball Fever Anyone who has had a friend or lost a friend, anyone who's wondered about the mysteries of life or wrestled with the finality of death, will be taken in by this poignant, unexpectedly funny and soul stirring memoir. -Karen M. Black, author of Back to the Water A beautifully written book. You can truly hear the author's voice-in each word, sentence, paragraph, through each chapter-and you can feel her emotions, see her struggles and watch her rise above as she ignites all her reader's senses. What a gift! I didn't want to put this book down. -Michelle Valberg, Nikon Ambassador Canada, Canadian Geographic Photographer-in-Residence Four Fridays is a vividly touching account of love and loss, hope and fear, and ultimately, of growth. Cynthia's shameless honesty, clever humour and profound humanity propels the reader through their own journey of self-discovery. An absolute gem! -John Larsen, EVP Edelman, National Practice Lead, Crisis & Risk I'm clear that we'll all wind up dead one day. What I don't want is for anyone I care about to go there alone. This book has me realizing that I could actually develop the courage, caring and sense of humor to be present with someone who is slipping away, and perhaps thereby increase the odds that others will be there for me as well. -Dan Haygeman, International Effectiveness Coach An inspiring reflection of true friendship and a powerful reminder to pay attention to the time you have with those you love. In today's restless society, Four Fridays provides a stark reminder to relish the moment and not take the small things for granted. An amazing book! -Louis Goldberg, President, VolitionU

Author Information

Cynthia Barlow is a facilitator, coach and author of several books. A specialist in Emotional Intelligence, she has conducted leadership development programs for over thirty years for clients like TD Bank, Bell, Bank of America, AutoZone and Amex. Her coaching clients range from top executives to everyday people looking for ways to notch up their performance. A popular and experienced key-note speaker, Cynthia has inspired thousands of people to look a little deeper and reach a little higher with her direct, humorous, and slightly sassy style. She says the highest compliment she has ever received is this: ""You paint word-pictures blind people can see."" Mother to two grown sons (and two grandchildren), Cynthia is passionate about words, water, puppies, and chocolate, which she is certain is a valid food group. She is driven by truth, trust, and transparency, and makes her home in Belleville, Ontario.

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