“My life was broken and put back together in unexpected ways that made it multidimensional and extraordinary. Learning to live in the moment has not been easy. Rewriting the story continuously and consciously would not have happened without the brokenness.” Donna lived a typical suburban life as a working wife, and had her life under control and neatly planned out; or so she thought. Life took a sudden turn and she found herself caring for her husband as he battled a fatal form of cancer. Widowed and wading through her grief, Donna found her strength and resilience to move one step forward each day, through lessons learned in her own life. Death isn't easy, nor is caregiving. Rue’s Butterfly, a memoir by Donna Welser, provides a thoughtful story on the challenges of being a caregiver to a loved one, and dealing with the aftermath of losing them. Through thoughtful questions, personal reflection and the sharing of practical tools, Donna shows readers the importance of having hard discussions before they are needed, sustaining relationships, and finding time to build and live a bucket list. When we spend so much time planning for tomorrow, we often forget to live in today. Rue’s Butterfly reminds us to enjoy life as it happens while being prepared for what can happen. " Nothing can ever fully prepare us for death. In this moving memoir, Donna finds herself prematurely navigating losses of her loved ones, while learning how to embrace this grief and create a new normal. She captures the true meaning to life! " -Leila Naylor, author of V oyage of An Independent Thinker A touching and honest memoir that is bristling with energy. Donna effortlessly moves between humor and grief, revealing insights that come from a fierce life filled with highs and lows." —Kevin A. Kuhn, Award winning author of Do You Realize? A Novel. Donna McCart Welser, a confirmed apocaloptimist, has authored an intimate, yet highly resonant book that is imbued with wisdom, courage, humor and adventure. She invites us to learn from her own hard-earned lessons and - instead of preaching to us - guides us as a trusted friend. - Matthew J. Goldberg, author of Hot Ice Cream: Inspiring Life Lessons from Our Children "In a memoir both heart-wrenching and uplifting, Donna shares her story of surviving the devastating loss of her husband and rebuilding her life in the aftermath. Donna's story resonates with relatability, wit, and the strength that hardship instills in the human spirit." -Zena Logan, Producer, Real Housewives of Orange County, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. "As a bereaved mother on a forever journey of grief, who has learned to survive and find joy in life again, seeing Donna's feelings of her own grief and the want to push through and heal, confirms that the love of family and friends is what we all need to accept in our times of despair!" -Kelly Lemanowicz, President of Smiles from Kara, a 401c foundation "Pandemics, crisis, and losses are all a part of life. No one said it would be easy. I find easier to navigate when people like Donna share how they navigated their rough times. When you read her story, it makes you see yourself, and you realize you are not alone. She speaks to the apocaloptismist in us all. Don't know what that word means? It's another reason to read this book." -Christopher Hampton - The Champiam Organization, Motivational Teacher and Author of Everyday Leadership For Everyday People "A beautiful story about love and death and perseverance. Donna gets to the heart of the matter and does not shy away from the topic of death but rather throws others a life line to pull through their own journey. I am beyond happy for her that her bucket list keeps growing only because she works hard to consistently complete her goals." Kuri Levine author , Autism with a Side of Sushi Welser's narrative inspires others to not just endure their despair but find the motivation to seek personal healing in healthy ways as they establish a "new normal" that will put them on a path back to a happy and productive future... Rue's Butterfly takes a close look at the process of grieving and acceptance and lays out sage advice and logical steps to follow before, during, and after a loved one passes away. In loving detail, Donna Mccart Welser seeks to galvanize the human spirit and reinforce the necessity of living each day to its fullest. - Review by Book Excellence "The author of "Rue's Butterfly" penned a beautiful memoir that examines a harrowing tale of grief and the process of healing and moving forward after a loved one's death. With Donna's encouraging words, the reader moves through the process of caregiving, grief, and life after loss. Readers are prompted with questions/activities to reflect upon throughout the book. I thought this was incredibly useful as it provides direction for those who may feel overwhelmed or lost. It definitely got me thinking about mortality and the importance o