have made some that, to the outside world, may not seem momentous. Nevertheless, by acting on their dreams, they have become role models for themselves and for all of us.

Turning Points

The splendor of Acapulco and the challenge of rafting the rapids helped Lois Coldewey leave her marriage, her career, and life as she knew it  —  and reinvent her future.

When the time is ripe, the vision will come.

— Joyce Rupp

Lois Coldewey spent much of her adult life married and raising her two children. She became a part-time student working on a master’s degree, a process that took twenty-three years. After that, she worked in a variety of health care specialties, from medical and surgical positions to psychology, faith partnerships, administration, community outreach, and cancer support.

Lois Jean Coldewey, 65, Des Plaines, Illinois

Act I: Wife and mother of two grown children, Michael and Tracey; grandmother of three, Rachel, Sean, and Danny; registered nurse.

Act II: Spiritual director, pastoral holistic nurse, and healing touch certified practitioner.