Contributors
Elizabeth Lewis
Owner
Elizabeth Lewis LLC
Mequon, Wisconsin
Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Alignable
Elizabeth Lewis is a grief support specialist, stress resilience trainer, spiritual counselor and motivational speaker whose areas of expertise include trauma healing, suicide prevention, forgiveness facilitation, and healing art and writing. Recognizing that there is no “one-size-fits-all” path to wellness and a sense of wholeness, Elizabeth has pursued extensive training and certifications in diverse approaches to resilience, spirituality, healing and growth. Elizabeth also draws on her personal resilience and experience in overcoming trauma to help her clients find their own best path to healing.
Who are you often remembering, and why?
“My younger sister Paula; she was diagnosed with breast cancer in her late 30s and died in her mid-40s. Paula was a touchstone to the past and also a friend in adulthood. I miss her loving energy, her voice, her sense of style, her vulnerability and warmth. I sometimes find myself wondering “what would Paula think of…?” I try to live in a way that honors her memory and legacy of love, kindness and goodness.”
What inspires you to do your work?
“I have had much personal experience of loss: loss of physical functioning for a long time after a car accident in which I suffered a severe brain trauma and temporary paralysis; loss of close family members; loss of good friends to death; and loss of my home to a neighbor’s carelessly done construction project. Each loss has brought a new experience of grief, requiring a working through, and acceptance of what had happened. And each loss brought with it a heightened desire to ease the suffering of others by helping them to work through the pain of loss.”
And when you’re not working?
“I have a passion for baking deserts, making art quilts and watching old movies. On a warm day I love being outside on my bicycle. I like to try out new healing modalities on myself before introducing them to clients and workshop participants (so I like to do a variety of different meditation and resilience techniques). I’m always in the process of reading two books (one serious and one mystery). My husband has a great sense of humor and is my favorite person to hang out with. And I’m blessed to have a circle of friends who have become a family of the heart – we gather often just to enjoy each other’s company.”
What famous dead person would you most like to have lunch with and why?
“I would most like to have lunch with Jesus of Nazareth (perhaps at a café overlooking the Sea of Galilee on a sunny spring day). We would talk about how to embody peace, and the challenges found in trying to live a life of unconditional love and forgiveness. And I would ask him about his work as teacher and healer.”
How do you want to be remembered?
“I want to be remembered as someone who helped those suffering the pain of loss to find healing. And I want to be remembered as someone authentic who brought the light of unconditional love and unconditional forgiveness to her corner of the world through teaching, writing, counseling work and in all that she did.”