Present Jo - Part 4

Currently, Jo is working as a Life Coach - http://greenmountainlifecoach.com/
while managing her work in substance abuse as a social service activist.
Dan and Jo meet at the marriage counter (a local community activity), on the first Wednesday of every month, to counsel other couples and share their experiences of a joyful marriage.
Jo takes her time out to visit friends, take care of her beautiful garden or just take a nap. Her favorite guilty pleasure food is Chocolate Pudding in whipped cream with walnuts.

Dan works as an architect/designer in his carpentry business and enjoys his spare time playing his musical instruments. Natessa has completed her graduation and works as a teacher for early education for young kids while Jaimen is currently in his junior year and also works as a teacher at a local pre-school.
Here is a piece of Dan's message for Jo :

"Monika has asked for some 'words' about Jo, about who she is to me, what she means to me. "A couple sentences." she says. I say.... well, maybe one word, or two, or ten pages... but two sentences... how could I do that? And here I have already used two and am into my third...

I will say that Jo brought love and loyalty and caring into my life. And strength, and drive, and motion. And emotion too. She has grounded me and encouraged me to fly. She brought two beautiful children into my life, asked me to become their father and trusted me with that great and precious task/gift. She has a wonderful and caring heart. Loves people, Loves to help, loves to connect. Has lived with a great deal of pain because of the loss of her own mother and is a triumphant survivor. She is very 'real.' She is just who she is, and she also keeps growing and becoming. She is very deep and she lives right on the surface, in the moment. A great friend, wife, mother, sister.... a good person, kind and giving and fun and a great dancer!"

Thank you sooo much Dan for sharing it with us.

Jo is the walking angel in their life filled with compassion, whose most enjoyable moment in her life is when the kids call her "mom" whereas her greatest regret is when her children get discriminated because of their color.

Now what remains - Lets take a peak in Jo's wish-list
- To have grandchildren
- To take a trip around the world
- Visit India and work there
- make quilts for children with old clothes to keep them warm with her love..

Here's wishing Jo that she achieves all of her deepest wishes and continues to inspire young and old women with her confidence and positive attitude to keep going.
Love you Jo. You really are a source of inspiration for me.

Live on your terms - Jo Part 3

We have a fine girl graduating with an Associate degree and bagging a job as a legal secretary at the Montpelier Court house. Her mother would be so proud. She had everything a guy could dream of in his wife, and it was not long before the 20 year old damsel fell in love with the 21-year old William and got married to him.William was from a poor family in Stowe, Vermont and studied with Jo in the same college. One would picture a rosy life where Jo lived happily ever after. But little do we know what lies ahead of us. So didn't Jo. Their marriage started facing challenges. Jo tried her best to stand through it. She even supported her husband to complete his Master's at Boston university. At 27, she bought her first house in East Montpelier and lived with 25 housemates - coming and going. Amidst finding out that she can never have her own children due to a drug called DES which was given as medication to her mother, she juggled between her debts, her job and a bad marriage. Eventually, a divorce separated the couple, leaving her alone for the fight that lay ahead.While William tried to straighten himself with two other failed marriages, Jo decided to no more opt for a man's support but find other way to fulfill her deepest wish - To be a mother.
Very firm in her decision, Jo started to find adoption procedures and formalities. The International mission of hope orphanage with missionaries in Calcutta, India found a ray of hope for Jo's wishes. But even here, she waited two long years before her application was accepted and a four-month old baby girl was crying in her arms - waiting for her new mother to hug her tightly. Jo named her Natessa - after Nateshwar Natraj - the God of Dance. The baby was here, Jo's life had changed, but Jo was determined on one more wish - to have a sibling for Natessa. She loved and cared so much for the child that she wanted the siblings to stand by each other as a family, in case something would happen to her. And the noble prayer was answered after three long years. Jo adopted Jaimen- a premature baby on whom the doctors had given up the hope. Jo ripped off her chest and held Jaimen tightly and sure the warmth of a mother's love did the miracle. Jaimen survived ! Jo had actually given birth to a new life.

Now our Jo's life was changed - It had two baby members. With the increased responsibility, Jo realized she needs to spend more time with her new family. At the age of 36, she bought a house in Montpelier downtown, (her current residence) closer to work and lived with two housemates to support herself and her two kids. She had paid five grands each to the orphan institutions for her children. Even with these debts, she decided to switch her job to a less demanding one - just so she can do justice to her growing up kids. And she landed a job which perfectly complemented her compassionate nature. She was hired as a 'substance abuse prevention consultant' with the state health center and she accepted it wholeheartedly, even though it meant having a drastic amount of cut in her earnings.
But that was Jo for you - who loves talking to people, helping troubled teenagers, sheltering refugees in her very own house, serving the community - bravely and sincerely.

Life happens to you when you least expect it. Jo was not an exception. Though she was happy in her small and sweet family, thanking for giving her all she wanted, God knew she deserved more. On the morning of Jan 1, 1995, her phone rang to the voice of a man wishing her a happy new year. It was Daniel Wetmore, a fine handsome man who entered Romano family with a heart full of love and kindness. Dan was a friend of Jo's then housemate Malcolm, and would meet Jo at the local stores, developing a feeling of love and respect for Jo.

With course of time, Dan became an important part of Jo's life. Dan not only developed his relation with Jo, but loved her kids as a parent would.
And on the 17th day of August, 1997, Jo and Dan had a beautiful summer wedding and within a year, Dan adopted the two kids as his own. He gave them a gold ring, as a sign which meant he will always be with them.

Jo was 45 when she married Dan who was 40. With her loving and caring husband and two adorable children, Jo was blessed with what she really and truly wished for - a complete family, to feel a sense of belonging to that family, to have someone care for her as she did for all others in her life. While Jo continued to work for the troubled people, Dan switched his roles as a teacher, an architect and a fabulous carpenter.

After marriage Jo and Dan decided to shower their love on one more orphan child. But just when they were about to mail the application, they had a second thought which made them change their decision. Jo had developed fibromyalgia (muscle pain) in her mid 40s and had a hip replacement due to arthritis at the age of 51.

After working for the state for 35 years, she finally decided to retire. But sitting idle at home was not Jo. She found her way out to start a home-based business of being a life coach. She, along with her girlfriend, went online to take up a a course for life-coaching. Yes, our Jo is now a private consultant for individuals, organization-based managers and groups to help them achieve their goals while continuing work in substance abuse. She has few rooms in her house dedicated to troubled teenagers to help them find and build a career overcoming all the obstacles in their way.

the child Jo - Part 2

February 16, 1952 - Josephine was born to the Romano family in the New York City. Her father Rocco, a fine Italian man came to Ellis Island, NY for a better life and married Jo's mother. They had two boys - Johnnie and Anthony before Jo was born and within two years of Jo's birth the family moved to Bronx city where they stayed in a two-story brick house. Downstairs were Jo's grandparents and her uncle John, and upstairs was the Romano family.
Everyday, Jo would come home from school, do her homework and play hopscotch by herself. Their church, school, market, a local store everything was within a mile's radius. Even Jo's Aunt lived two blocks away from their house. Jo had Bologne sandwiches for lunch. In the evenings, her grandparents cooked dinner for the entire family and they ate together. But Jo's childhood had much more to undergo. When Jo was 5, her mother fell sick and was hospitalized for two years after which she met her fate. Jo lost her mother at the age of 7 leaving behind a hope chest filled with her love.

Life went on with Jo getting admission to a Catholic school in her fifth grade. She felt proud to wear her catholic uniform - a brown blazer, a texan tie, brown binnie and a brown and white pleated skirt. She walked two miles to her school and back, with her friends. With not many extra-curricular activities to-do around, Jo kept herself busy making crafts, playing stoop ball. She participated in girl scouts program. Religion became her most favorite subject through the secondary school. She found peace going to church every morning before school. She visited the nuns in the convent and helped them in cleaning chores and most importantly feeling the warmth of a mothers love - as close as she could get it.
Evenings were also spent with her favorite uncle John, whose funny and talkative nature was one of the few reasons to make Jo smile. She would enjoy his company and followed his ideals to be nice and loving.
Jo would try and find love in all the people around her. I cannot imagine how it is to grow up without your mother's love, but am sure it creates that empty space in you heart which lasts forever. For Jo, that was the reason to built up a personality to love the outcasted people, the ones who are sad and lonely - for she knew how terrible it felt. She would walk across from her house to the house of a granny who was deserted by her family and sit beside her holding her hand. She would take warm food to her during holidays.

Her role model with no surprises was the walking angel - our dear Mother Teressa. Jo admired her patience and love for lepers and outcast people. Also, Jacqueline Kennedy (the then first lady) was her favorite. Little Jo did not want to wash off her hand when Mrs. Kennedy had kissed it during her visit to a museum.

Years passed by, and teenage Jo got admission to Champlain college. She left her house in Bronx to find a new herself in the city of Burlington.

Just Jo! - Part 1

Sunday March 14, 2010 - My Homeshare Carlene calls her friend Jo to help her get some medicines after all others turned her down. I hoped this friend of hers helped her and even before the water for the tea boiled, Jo opened the back porch door, and smiled - I could feel a friend in her at that very moment. She rushed to get medicine for Carlene. In the meanwhile, Carlene told me that Jo had adopted 2 kids from India and its been 20 years since then. I felt one of my heart's deepest chords strike. I knew I wanted to hear her story. I thought I might do that when she comes at Carlene's next time. But unfortunately, I had to leave Carlene's place leaving no contact of Jo with me. Somewhere, my mind truly wished, if I could meet her once more, if she could tell me her story. And yes, although they take time, your prayers are always answered..
One Sunday, Cindy - my new homeshare asked me to come for the early mass at the church and there was Jo standing at the door welcoming people. We hugged each other so tight, and I exclaimed -wow, it feels soo blessed now. I was glad I met Jo again.

In the days that followed, I met more of Jo - she really thought I was helping her cook Indian food. What she didn't knew was that I felt so much at home with her. She along with her family - husband Dan, son Jaimen and daughter Natessa felt like a family to me. Mom-Dad, brother sister.. and then the golden chance arrived one Sunday evening. Jo let her heart out and spoke to me - of everything- her growing up, her dreams, her challenges and her deepest wish - to have a family... Here's more...