BUTTERFLY AWAKENS: A Memoir of Transformation Through Grief by Meg Nocero – Non-Fiction, Mother Daughter Relationship, Death of a Parent, Healing

In this beautiful and transforming memoir, a loving daughter navigates a journey to move beyond the heart-wrenching boundaries of grief to ultimately discover her own sense of purpose. Here the quest brings about a miraculous metamorphosis as she uncovers life’s true joys.

In the opening segment of her three-part journey in Butterfly Awakens, wife, mother, and federal immigration lawyer Meg Nocero, quietly draws readers into the close relationship she had with her mother. Soon she intimately shares her mother’s unexpected breast cancer diagnosis. Here she meets the challenges of both traditional and alternative treatments, but ultimately her mother succumbs to the disease.

After losing a parent who was also her best friend, part two explores the downward spiral of Nocero’s mental health. Plagued by dreams and nightmares, and dealing with severe bouts of depression, anxiety, and the stress of a law career stifled by superiors, Nocero seeks help in the form of therapeutic and spiritual outlets. Here the core suggestions all pointed Nocero in the direction of being her own guide and learning to follow her own bliss.

Before long, a life-changing decision sets her on a path to publish an inspiring work entitled The Magical Guide to Bliss, which allows her to forge ahead and share her message with others. Whether hunkered down in her closet during the tears of depression, attempting to expand her creative soul by following the course from The Artist’s Way, battling the severity of stress-induced tinnitus, or experiencing joyous meetings with the likes of the iconic Oprah Winfrey and well-known author Liz Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame, Nocero displays a roller coaster of emotions. Slowly she steps outside her comfort zone to reap the rewards that life has to offer.

Nocero’s story ultimately culminates with a trek along the renowned El Camino de Santiago in northern Spain.

Though seemingly ill-prepared for such an arduous venture, Nocero gloriously proves she not only talks the talk, but she can literally walk the walk. The spiritual pilgrimage serves as a tribute to both her mom, and the victims of the Parkland shootings in her home state of Florida. Stops in fairytale-like hamlets and visits to churches and monasteries along a route that culminates at a Finisterre lighthouse envisioned when her mother passed, Nocero makes peace with her inner pain and realizes she is free to choose a future of happiness.

Nocero’s Italian heritage dictates that when a family member passes on, their spirit morphs into a butterfly. The use of such symbolism throughout the book, whether in the form of a keychain, the design on a child’s shirt, or the gossamer winged creature itself helps emphasize the theme of change. Each chapter also opens with an inspirational quote that helps set the tone for the next direction on Nocero’s path. A complimentary photo journal at the book’s end also provides visual highlights throughout Nocero’s personal journey.

The popular adage that dictates “without change there would be no butterflies” is undoubtedly brought to light in Nocero’s memoir.

Her message of hope and transformation is a positive beacon to help others get through difficult times and recognize their own self-worth. Exploring the power of family, friends, love, faith, and synchronicity, Nocero teaches that we are not defined by our grief, drama, tensions, or emotionally draining careers, but that we can rise above these situations and soar to new heights.

Butterfly Awakens is an inspiring revelation of self-discovery and openly serves as a tribute to a beloved mother. Through Nocero’s absorbing and authentic voice her story addresses a personal experience, it is also intended to help readers searching for light at the end of their own darkened tunnels. A thought-provoking odyssey for those on a similar whirlwind path, this life-affirming, triumphant book proves a well-crafted empowering guide for personal change and growth.