To have survived such a horrific experience is near miraculous. But, to have not only survived but overcome and gone on to find satisfaction, happiness and joy in life is almost unbelievable. Yet that is precisely what Jennifer Gilbert has done, and she honestly shares her experience with us. Hers is a courageous yet difficult story told with candor, humor and good grace.
At one time as an event planner she obsessed “over every tiny detail of other people’s most important events....It was the perfect way to avoid thinking about the dark, scary void inside me.” That void was caused by a near-fatal random attack by a man who punctured her body over thirty times with a screwdriver. It was in downtown Manhattan, unexpected and completely vicious. She was 22-years-old, and would recover physically but the void inside would take longer to heal.
Three months after her attack she found work with a small event planning business where she worked constantly, never taking time off, keeping busy to cloak the terror that remained within her. After a time a client offered to partner with her in her own event planning firm, “Save The Date.” At the age of 30 she was the youngest and only recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year from Ernst & Young, and other awards followed.
Today she lives in New York City with her husband and three children. But she has traveled a long, arduous road, and she shares that journey with us. Reading her story one is reminded not only of Gilbert’s grit and courage but of the resiliency of the human heart and spirit. Don’t miss it!
Gail Cooke
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