I, then, read her article written for Garden & Gun, another favorite publication. It spoke to me personally. Please click here to read the article. Dominique and I both have Kentucky roots, both our fathers are from Kentucky, her Dad from Hopkinsville, mine from Bowling Green. I spent my summers in Bowling Green, just as she spent hers in Hopkinsville. And the rest was history, I was hooked for life on Dominique and her words.
I'm embarassed to say I lost track of her once House & Garden went under. She was not a personal friend, just someone I followed professionally and admired. And then, I saw this article in the New York Times Magazine and waited for her book, Slow Love, to be released. Click here to read the article.I always admired Dominique's stunning physical beauty. It is arresting, so unique and true. But after you read Slow Love, you will see her beauty is so deep in her inner core, her physical beauty is just that, physical.
The honesty and focus it took to write this book, to me, is mind-boggling. I'm in awe of the deep dark secrets she shared, I believe, in an altruistic way. This book is a beacon of hope for those who find themselves in deep grief and loss. Dominique lost her job and persona professionally speaking but, I've suffered deep loss in my life, and I related to this fully. She clearly walks you through, in her own words, how hard it is to put your life back together. How, at times, you aren't even sure what day it is or worse what time of day it is.
Dominique has found a way to put her life back together, turn lemons into lemonade and become her true self, not the former woman wrapped up in a persona defined by a career or schedule. She isn't guarded by a "public face" but is one with her thoughts and feelings, an eye-opener of what appeals to the human soul.
I encourage you to reserve this book at the library, borrow it from a friend or buy it. Of course, with my insane schedule (and after reading Slow Love I'm questioning my sanity) it took me several weeks to finish it. If I was living as Dominique recommends I would have slashed the calendar for a day and enjoyed every morsel of it without interruption.
Are you a Dominique Browning fan? Go visit her fabulous blog, slow love life. Click here to visit. I couldn't believe when I first visited her blog she had Ragland Hill Social listed as one of her favorites. I was so honored!
I must also state, I bought my own copy on Amazon, wasn't gifted it from Dominique or her publisher and I'm writing this from the bottom of my heart.Hope you enjoy it! And, let me know if you've read her inspiring words. I'd love to hear your perspective.
We'll talk soon.
Gwen