Colene Sawyer Schlaepfer was born on a farm at the beginning of the Great Depression. Her family lost their little farm, and the dream of having another brought them together through hurdles and adventures. While a young mother raising four children, Colene achieved her own dream of becoming a therapist. An incurable romantic, and a gentle but determined person, she learned from her struggles with relationships, and her learning became the basis for teaching and writing. Colene's life story over almost a century parallels changes for women from chauvinism as a way of life to the present when more women than men graduate from college and are becoming more powerful as leaders. Colene's own challenges have taught her and inspired her work.