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Correspondent EAST LONGMEADOW In "Life Has Given and Taken," a book soon to be published by Nadia Kober, M.Ed, she found all her "characters" possessed distinct life journeys but with one common trait they all have a "big and loving heart for humanity." During a recent interview in her home on South Brook Road, Kober talked fondly of her local participants who enthusiastically shared their life stories with her through interviews that focused on psychological themes. "The book is a thoughtful and heartfelt work that relates to personal philosophies of individuals who have lived through a great deal," said Kober, noting her participants are between 80 and 100-plus years. Kober said the aim of her book was to follow a few life journeys of random people who have been living for more than eight decades. "Their experience, knowledge, and wisdom must be shared with any age group, but particularly with young adults," she said. "Their endurance, positive attitude and healthy personal philosophies are the core of successful and happy lives which my participants express." Kober has been interested in psychology for more than three decades, and holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts and a master's degree in counseling psychology from Springfield College. "My interest in psychology started when I was about 18," she added. "Questions such as 'why people do what they do' or 'why do we behave this way' have occupied my mind, and I was trying to find answers to them. Psychology piqued my interest because it is a journey into our emotions, actions and behavior." Kober moved to the United States in 1986 with her husband Peter from the Czech Republic, and they have one son, Philip, 18. She became a U.S. citizen in 1991. Kober said they moved to this country since her husband's family lived here and they wanted to be close to them. As her passion for writing the book took hold, she put her counseling career aside to concentrate on this project. "I don't count the number of hours a week I spend on the book," she said, adding that in addition to learning life lessons from her participants, she has also learned a great deal about the book publishing business. Without a doubt, Kober's project is a labor of love. "Each of my participants is quite a character," she noted, adding, "not only concerning how they lived years ago, but most importantly what they do now." Kober emphasized that many of her participants still work, study, paint, swim, write, lecture, travel, donate money, and get involved in politics and community events. The individuals, who range in age from 80 to 101, were randomly selected for her book, and she found them at retirement centers, nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and other community places like shopping centers. "I conducted intake interviews, starting with a questionnaire, and we ended up spending a lot of time together and had fun," she said about her experience with each participant. Kober noted that the most important aspect of the interviews centered on conversations about religion, faith, beliefs and values. "I am as excited as my participants that finally someone is interested to give their lives serious consideration," she said. "The short stories are a brief overview of their life journeys." One of Kober's participants is Lucile McCabe, 101, who says her personal philosophy is "all people are interesting if you can find the way to their thoughts." McCabe was one of Kober's oldest participants and Kober noted they hit it off immediately. "Lucile is an amazing woman," notes Kober in her book, adding that she always smiles and her good humor and natural vitality are remarkable. "Lucile's vibrant attitude shows a lady who knows how to celebrate life and be satisfied with the gift of being a centenarian," said Kober. "I see her glowing with happiness, and I wonder how I will feel when I am as old as Lucile. My mind soars in the air with vague imaginings." With each life journey, Kober briefly introduces us to the individual, then she allows each participant to reminisce about important milestones in their lives. Participants are also encouraged to leave a personal message for the reader. Kober notes that the overall message from all of the individuals is about the need for "peace and love," and the lessons need to be taught at an early age. As a follow-up to the book, Kober and some of her participants hope to share their thoughts through speaking engagements at high schools and at community gatherings. Kober said her book has reminded her how precious and rich life can be. "I want to share what I've learned with a broader audience," she said, stressing, "we should learn from each other." A life lesson she no doubt learned from one of her participants. | ||||||
