Celebration of Mariah Fenton-Gladis

I was introduced to Mariah Fenton-Gladis in June, 2013 at a 3-day workshop called Arrive Already Loved. My SIL (sister-in-law) invited me. I love her and knew how much she loved Mariah. I readily agreed to attend with her.

I regarded this conference as a chance to spend some quality time with my SIL. It was.

I thought I’d be listening to a lecture-type training, where I could passively absorb the material. I can laugh now at how wrong I was on that.

Over the next four years, I would do some of the hardest, most interactive, work of my life with Mariah at this, and other, workshop(s) and two years of Gestalt training.

I confronted personal and professional issues in a style Mariah referred to as “Creating Exact Moments of Healing”. I was honored and humbled to have assisted / witnessed the work Mariah did with countless others.

Mariah is the most transformational person I will likely ever meet. Able to cut right to the chase, Mariah was ever-generous with her insights, loving kindness and the desire to help us all recognize the power we have in ourselves.

This past Saturday, September 8th, I attended Mariah’s Celebration of Life with hundreds of others who had been transformed in some way by Mariah. I attended with my SIL and some lifelong “sister friends” I know/love because of Mariah.

We gathered at the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, PA, where I learned that Mariah and Ron had many a Friday night date.  

Listening to many testimonials and sharing our own with each other made for a true celebration of this angel-woman, who has created a ripple effect that literally spans the universe. The words of her husband, Ron, her amazing sons, Cole and Luke, and other family/close friends, allowed me to see different sides of Mariah. Her compassion, courage, sense of humor and zest for life as a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, friend or therapist was shared in each and every remembrance.

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The music, including some live performances by Francis Dunnery, Emily West and John Smith, helped us feel even closer to Mariah and as a community. “Rise Up” was the opening song. causing a flood of tears, smiles and hope to spread through the audience.

I selected the following two YouTubes to share in this celebratory post. You may have seen these, yet the message and inspiration is timeless, just as Mariah is. These videos tell part of Mariah's personal and professional story.

These words of wisdom by Mariah were strewn the thoughtfully prepared program book that we each received:

• “Wherever you go, arrive already loved.” (Mariah Gladis)

• “Any time you love, you breathe life in.” (Mariah Gladis)

• “Each of us is a powerful agent of change and it is that power I hope to leave with each of you.” (Mariah Gladis)

• “When you take responsibility for your life, you are the creator of your own destiny.” (Mariah Gladis)

 

• “Every time you express gratitude or compassion for any aspect of yourself or someone else, you bring life in.” (Mariah Gladis)

 

• “Your relationship with yourself is the heart of all healing.” (Mariah Gladis

 

• “In terms of my work, people often ask me how I do it, listening to people’s problems all day long. I tell them that I don’t hear problems. I hear people wanting to change, wanting to be better human beings, wanting to create happier families. I have been privileged to work with people from every continent and from all walks of life. Over and over again I hear people wanting to love and be loved more effectively. I hear people wanting to remove barriers in their life and provide more for their loved ones on every level. I hear people looking for ways to contribute and improve their contact skills in the world. This is a privileged position that I have, sharing so many heartwarming moments of laughter and tears with people working toward healing.” (Mariah Gladis)  

May Mariah’s words of wisdom resonate within each of us. May the ripple effect of her work spread, day in and day out, as she looks over us - perhaps finally able to rest. Job well done, sweet angel.

I wanted to end by sharing a special way to think about how Mariah may enjoy her retirement years in this beautiful The Carriage Driver Story, written by Michael Friedman. Just click the underlined title or click here to get it. 

​Until next week, wishing you love and peace, mar​