June 2, 2025 • 34 mins
Discover the extraordinary story of Gina Economopoulos, who transformed profound loss into a mission of healing. After losing her mother at 22, Gina's search for meaning led her to spend 12 years in a convent, only to face rejection and a subsequent battle with alcoholism. Her remarkable journey takes unexpected turns, from serving as a Franciscan nun to finding love, confronting addiction, and ultimately becoming an end-of-life doula.
Through raw vulnerability, Gina shares how she navigated grief, faith crisis, and addiction to emerge stronger. Now celebrating 10 years of sobriety, she reveals how Alcoholics Anonymous and a renewed relationship with God helped her rediscover her authentic self. Her story beautifully illustrates how life's darkest moments can become stepping stones to purpose and healing.
Don't miss this powerful episode that explores themes of resilience, spiritual growth, and the transformative power of embracing our struggles. Tune in to hear how one woman's journey from loss to liberation can inspire your own path to healing and self-discovery.
Through raw vulnerability, Gina shares how she navigated grief, faith crisis, and addiction to emerge stronger. Now celebrating 10 years of sobriety, she reveals how Alcoholics Anonymous and a renewed relationship with God helped her rediscover her authentic self. Her story beautifully illustrates how life's darkest moments can become stepping stones to purpose and healing.
Don't miss this powerful episode that explores themes of resilience, spiritual growth, and the transformative power of embracing our struggles. Tune in to hear how one woman's journey from loss to liberation can inspire your own path to healing and self-discovery.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What do you do when life hands you profound loss
and grief and you're left searching for peace and serenity?
Today on Life Jack to the Resilience Podcast, I welcome
Gina Economopolis, whose journey is a testament to resilience and faith.
Born in Science, New York to a vibrant Italian and
(00:22):
Greek family, Gina's life took unexpected turns after graduating from
Eastern Connecticut State University. Following her mother's passing, who embarks
on a twelve year convent journey. Now as an end
of life doula on the Jersey Shore, she offers compassion
to those in their final moments. Her path through sobriety
(00:43):
as a committed alcoholics anonymous member has been both challenging
and transformative. Zina's story is one of moving forward through
life's toughest trials. Join me, doctor Roche as we explore
Gina's inspiring journey and the resilience that fuels her spirit.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Sometimes life gives us lemons, Sometimes it gives us lemonade.
Other Times it gives us something entirely out of left
field that makes us say w t F. But no
matter what obstacles come, there is most often a way
out from the other side, and we are once again victorious.
(01:29):
My name is doctor Row and you are listening to
my podcast about resilience. Every guest shares a tragedy to
triumph story to give listeners like you the inspiration to
push through every single day. Listen now as my next
guest shares how they were like Jack.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Hi, Gina, welcome, Thank you so much for me a
guest on my show. How are you?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I am doing great?
Speaker 4 (02:00):
And hi doctor rowe into all your listeners and yeah,
it's been a fabulous.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Day, fantastic. Now, of course you grew up in a
strong Italian and Greek family and so with that there
are comes call certain cultural values, right, there are certain
things we do and certain things we don't do, as
within all families, but I know that within Italian and
Greek families, the culture is very strong and they kind
(02:26):
of dictates how you behave. So how did the culture
that you were brought up in and raised in, how
did that influence your approach to dealing with loss and adversity.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Well, yes, my mother was Italian and my dad was Greek,
and it was totally different cultures because they connected back
in the fifties and and that wasn't really heard of.
And so when they brought two families together, you know,
two different cultures, to me, it was a great, great match.
(02:59):
I mean, I loved my parents.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
They they did.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
They gave us unconditional love. I'm from one of eight kids.
We were raised Catholics, so my dad, being Greek Orthodox
when he married mom, came into the Catholic church and
raised the family. We were raised Catholic, but granted we did,
you know, have Greek Easter. We celebrated Greek Easter with
(03:23):
all the Greeks on my dad's side, and of course
with the Italians. We celebrated Easter, and we always celebrated.
That's one thing about our culture. We like to celebrate
and have fun and.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Lots of food and lots of food, right, delicious food.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
I have to ask, Yes, homemade, homemade nothing. Yes, my
mother never heard had anything from a jar at all
growing up.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
I love it. I love it. So how did that
influence your approach to dealing with loss and adversity especially
was the two different backgrounds?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Well, you know, I mean, like I said, I was
raised Catholic, but yet at the same time, I just
went through.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
The motions and being.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
I mean, my first loss was, you know, was when
my mom died, when when I was twenty two years old.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
So in a way, by that.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Time, I wasn't going to church. I wasn't real I
wasn't yet I wasn't going to church, not that I
didn't believe in God. So it was it was quite difficult,
you know, to handle loss when I didn't have faith.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
I didn't have any hope.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
I didn't have a relationship with God, you know, because
even though I was raised in the Catholic Church, I
just did not grasp within me.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Okay, I understand, Pagina. Can you take us back to
the moment when you decided to embark on your twelve
year convent journey, because that's not an easy decision. That's
not a decision that most young women make. They want
to just run away and then sometimes you hear that
but I'm just gonna run away and viet nun if
(05:06):
they're not really serious.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
But you did that.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
So how did you arrive at this decision?
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Well, you know, it's so funny because as a young girl,
we all.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Are I should say, I'll speak for myself.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
I always wanted to, uh, of course, you know, grow up,
I wanted to get married and I wanted to have
eight kids.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I never you know, being a nun did never crossed
my mind at all.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
And but then when I went through college, you know,
I didn't find my guy, et cetera, whatever, so I ended.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I mean, of course I never got married. But it
was through my mom's.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
Death, like I shared earlier, that where I didn't have
any faith, I came through searching and I came back
to the Catholic Church. I came back to my roots.
One would say I had a Saint Paul conversion. I
would like to say I fell off my barstool instead
of the horse, and I'm I'm like, oh my God,
there is a God. And there was through a lot
(06:02):
of pain and suffering and grief that I came to
find out that there is a God, that there is
a heaven, and there's a place for all of us.
And in that, I, in my heart, I went from
one extreme of living a very sadomamoral you know, partying
you know, away from God, come.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
To love God.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
And then in that I'm like, okay, I mean I
was twenty nine years old, so I wasn't really a
young per I mean, I guess I was young because
there was a lot a lot of the sisters were
a lot younger than me that chose this vocation. But
I was like, yeah, you know, I'm gonna I'm going
to join the convent. I'm going to join the conference because,
to be honest, doctor Rowe, I was searching for that
(06:43):
love and acceptance throughout my whole life. So here, you know,
I get in touch with God. I feel God's love. Okay,
what's my next do? Yeah, let me go join the convent.
So so I did, and and that was a it
was an experience, won't we say?
Speaker 3 (07:01):
I lived. I was a Franciscan nun. So I lived
a life of poverty, chastity, obedience. I was, I mean,
I was a great nun. Everybody loved me.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
I have a personality twas and even I mean before
I was a nun, and before my mom died, I
was a bartender.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
So I had like a real what what would say,
like a life like.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Wow, a bartender been becoming a nun and and it's like.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah yeah, and it was. And and a lot of
the young kids, a lot of youth.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Like wanted to hear my story. Up until that time.
And yeah, so I did you know twelve years I
was as a sister, like I was a very well
known sister, a very famous sister.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
But in the long run, at the end of my twelve.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Years, I endured a lot of pain and suffering, and
I felt like that was a story in my life,
his pain and suffering.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
And and I got kicked out. Make a long story short,
I got kicked out.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
So I know that you were, I mean essentially kicked
out or basically asked to not return you. We asked
to leave the convent. And so when that happened, knowing
that you were trying to go there, you were searching
for that love. You were, you know, searching to be
closer to God and be of service. And because of
(08:21):
certain actions, you know, you're basically an illness that you
have because really it wasn't just about you. You had
an illness. And and so that caused, you know, for them,
for them to ask you not to leave. So how
did that feel?
Speaker 3 (08:37):
How did they feel when I left?
Speaker 4 (08:38):
When they asked me to leave, I was, Yeah, I
have to say I felt rejected, I felt betrayed.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I was very hurt. I gave my.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Blood sweat and tears to this community. All along I
was struggling. There were times that I wanted to leave,
but yet I had listened to my superior and the
priest who was the founder of our community, and and
they kept saying, oh, you belong here, you belong here.
And all I kept thiguring is that I'm just suffering.
(09:10):
I'm just simply suffering for this I've because I you know,
I have a personality plus and when it came when
it comes down to her in hindsight, my person my
personality class with the community. It wasn't like I did
anything wrong. I wasn't a bad person. I was a
threat to them.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
And and so.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
During as I kept discerning and they kept saying, no,
you belong here, I said, okay. I made final vows,
which meant like I married God, I married the church,
I married to the community, gave my whole life, had
nothing continue.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
And that was a very peaceful moment. It was a
joyful moment.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
So I'm like, ah, I got this piece, this is
where God wants me to be. And then things things
started happening, which I felt like I was back on
the cross again. One would say and uh, and then
and especially in the last two years of my religious life.
They sent me away. They thought I had problems. They
they would just you know, they they would say, what
(10:14):
happened to you as a child.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
And I'm thinking, I don't. I really don't know, because
honestly I was, I was a good person. And uh.
But then and then I did once again, I went.
I went.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
I was sent away like in two years. I was
finding from one place to another. And then finally when
I'm like, yeah, I got it, I got it, you know.
And but then the community didn't receive me. And then
they said to me, oh, you don't belong here anymore.
That was the last thing they said to me. And
I'm like, oh, my gosh. You know. I was like, so,
(10:50):
I was like, you you had asked me, how did
I feel? I felt rejected, abandoned, lost. I came back
into the world. So this is in the year two
thousand and eight. So I you know, I missed twelve
years of being in the world because I lived in
austereal life.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
I slept on the floor.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
We didn't have rugs, we didn't have cushions. Simple habit,
full habit, didn't have anything else to my name and
when I left, I didn't really have I didn't have
anything to my name because I gave it all up,
my money, everything, car, you name it. I didn't have
nothing to my name. So when I left the convent,
(11:30):
I ended up going to live with men and women
with disabilities adult men for a transition time because I
was confused, who am I? I'm not Sister Regina anymore?
Why why did this happen to me?
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Why? Why did God reject me? Why did God marry me?
Speaker 4 (11:49):
So I had all those questions that were painful and hurtful.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Now I understand that because you mentioned that you have been,
you know, in the past, that you were searching for
peace and serenity. So yes, once you found it, right
like and I'm just thinking hypoth like saying speaking hypothetically.
So once you if you would find this piece and
(12:15):
serenity that you were searching for, what did you think
you were going to find? What was that going to
mean to you?
Speaker 4 (12:22):
I you know, that's that's a very good question, doctor Rode,
because what was going to mean to me is like,
how like that freedom inside? Because you know, not only
I was searching for that piece, because my insights were
full of fear, like insecurity. I didn't have confidence. I
didn't like myself. So I was looking for that place
(12:44):
to belong, to find that peace. And what I was
looking for was like a freedom within, like a freedom
within my mind, heart and soul, and like say, aha,
this is where God wants me. This is what God
wants me to do. Is that what this one wants
me to do? This is what God wants me to do.
And I love myself because even as a nun, I
(13:05):
didn't like myself. I was wearing a full habit. I
was a very how you say it was. I was
a beautiful nun. I told everyone everybody loved them, you know,
God loves them. But deep down there was a soul
sickness within me. There was an emptiness that I was
trying to fill. And I thought being in the sisters,
(13:25):
you know, I mean, that's a high calling from God.
I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna be stilled. I'm gonna be filled.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
But I'm not. I wasn't.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
I wasn't filled the way that I thought I would
be filled for the rest.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Of my life.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
There was a lot, like it was a lot of
suffering and pain that I had gone through real dark
time in my life, real dark, real dark. And during
that time, I kept thinking to myself the reason why
I was so confused. I'm like, but God, why are
these people doing this to me? Religious people? I couldn't understand.
(14:02):
I couldn't understand what I really did was wrong. I
didn't kill anyone, but I felt like I did the
way I was treated.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Right now, can you describe the turning point when you
realize this is not going well, I really have a
problem and that you needed sobriety, Like did it just
kind of knock you over the head or just one
night you woke up and a drunken sipper for just.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Like you know what?
Speaker 1 (14:32):
This is some sick of this? You know how did
that happen for you?
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Well, to be.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Honest with you, doctor Rode, the disease was so cunny
and baffling, citious. As a nun, I didn't know I
was an alcoholic.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
I didn't know.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
That was a missing puzzle in my life, the missing
piece I do have to say. At the end of
my religious life, the sisters said that I drank too much,
but I'm like, no.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Not me. I'm Genie kind of a sister of Gina
your gina.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
Oh no, no, because I was never really familiar with
alcoholism or alcoholics. I just thought they were bums on
the streets in a paperbag, That's what I thought.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
So here I did. But I did like my alcohol.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
I mean I did drink in the common I did
sneak it, but that wasn't really a problem because it
was I was drinking.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
The fear away, the pain away. And that's what I
did with alcohol, my whole wife, That's what I was.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
It was like became my best friend to try to
be someone that I thought I wanted to be, but
I really wasn't because the next day I became me.
You know, it was like, oh, be the life of
the party or life as a sister, etcetera. So so
it took me a lot more journey I had to do.
I had to go through a lot more pain and
suffering before coming into the rooms of AA and after
(15:53):
I went to work with the men with disabilities. This
is the point that I was kind of tired of serving.
I did a lot of serving of you know, hands
on with people and helping people out. So I decided
to come to the Jersey Shore. So I come to
the Jersey Shore. I get first time ever. I went
an apartment, didn't know how, first time ever doing things,
(16:15):
which because I'm in my forties, because I really did
not know how, because I was taking care of it
by the convent as well as you know, the House
of the Disability, you know house I was living at.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
They helped me out. So here I'm I'm by myself.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
Thank god, my dad was alive at the time, so
he kind of helped me with fil you know, what
to do, what not to I didn't know. Thank god,
I found an apartment with furniture because I wouldn't even
know how to find furniture. So anyhow, I come to
the Jersey Shore. I'm a block away from the beach.
I needed a job. And what's the best thing that
Gina knows how to do besides being a sister and
(16:52):
doing social work or service, which I did not want
to do. Gina knew how to Bartend, so I went
back to my environment of Barten.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
So I'm like, Okay, this is it.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
I'm going to Bartend again and and just to get myself.
At that time, I didn't know what I wanted to do.
I was just so hurt by the church, you know,
by life.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
And this was two years.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
After I left the convent, that I came here, you know,
to bartend and to live here.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
And so I'm here.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Bartending, and of course nobody knew I was a nun
former nun, I should say former none. I kept that
to myself, and people asked me. I said I was
a social worker because doctor Rowe Right, like right after
I left the convent, I would tell everyone I was
a nun. I got kicked out, and nobody ever called me.
I'm talking about guys like I would try I meet
(17:43):
a guy somewhere and they would never call me. I said, okay,
that doesn't work. So this time I just said I'm
a social worker. So here I am bartending. And Danny
walks into the bar and a nice gentleman. We started
talking and then we ended up starting dating. We ended
up dating. It was the first gentleman after the convent.
I did not leave the convent for him. It was
(18:06):
two years later and I said, okay, maybe this is
my path, because like I said earlier, I.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Always wanted to get married and have eight kids.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
And you know, by now I'm in my forties, I
know I won't have those eight kids. But maybe I'll
get married in a live a white picket sense. I mean,
that's all I wanted to do. And so when Danny
came along, we dated. We he won't you know, we
fell in love. But he comes to find out that
I was a nun. It didn't scare him. I was like, okay,
(18:36):
thank god.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
And then and then.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
I come to find out that he was the alcoholic
and that he was drinking at the time. And I'm like, oh,
I said, okay, just stop drinking, and he's like, and
he did.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
He tried, and he tried and he tried. I went
to alan On, which is a twelve step program. He
encouraged me to go to alan On. So I'm like, okay,
I'll go to alan On.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
And that's where I got familiar with the twelve steps
and with the program itself. So here I'm more focusing
on Danny on his disease.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
He was a real drunk.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
I mean, I had liked to drink and drinking. You know,
I drank, I couldn't stop. But he, you know, I
was comparing, but at that time I was so further
from my mind of my own disease. So but anyhow,
Danny got sober so I was like, oh my god,
thank god Danny got sober. He found his sobriety out west.
(19:33):
Back in twenty twelve in the summer, he comes to
Jersey and he's like, Gina. He goes, I'm gonna go
move out there, and would you come out there. I said,
I'll go anywhere, timbukto to support to sobriety, because he
was a great man when he's sober, they are great,
great people sober.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
And so he comes in the car, so now here
doctor roh. I'm like, yeah, this is it.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
This is my goal.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
This has been you know, finally something's turning good for
me that I don't have to go through pain and
suffering of my whole life.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
You know, this is good, this is great.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
His mom goes for a ride and I couldn't go
because I had a work. I did have a different
job at the time. So I said, once, you know,
in a month or two months, you get settled or
move out there, we'll get married, et cetera. Well, when
they do it, when they went through Indiana, they got
into a horrific car accident. I got that phone call
(20:31):
the next morning, you know, that tragic phone call that
nobody wants to hear to say that Danny and Mom
got into the accident. Mom died, Mom burned up, Danny
burned up, and we don't know if he's going to live.
So I'm like what And of course, you know I did.
I mean, at this time, I'm still talking to God
(20:53):
and you know, like God, how can this be?
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Why me? That's my whole life?
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Why me?
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Why me?
Speaker 4 (21:00):
And so of course I went out to Indiana to
be with him. I uprooted here. He did, you know,
survived the accident, but he was burnt half of his body.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
He was sober, sixty days sober, but he was sober.
And we were out.
Speaker 4 (21:15):
There, we got connected with the AA rooms out there,
met a lot of sober people. They took a sin
we you know, he had to go through wound care.
So like, ah, this is it. Okay, We'll go to Indianapolis.
That's our timbuks two whatever.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Whatever.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
We got engaged and a little behold, you know what
does an alcoholic do? Which I know is you know,
when you're in so much pain, emotional, spiritual.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
You drink, you go back to drinking. It's a disease, all.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
Right, I mean, and here doctor Roe, he saw his
mother burn.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Up in this accident.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
Even though they hit like five trees, he wasn't unconscious.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
So I was so angry with guys, So why couldn't
you knock him out? So he saw he was the.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
First person that knew his mom had died in that accident,
and and he wanted to die.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
But somebody saved him and saved him and.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
I'm like, but no, God saved you for me, etcetera. So,
but what does an alcoholic do when they're in so
much pain like that? That he picked up, he started
to and more.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
He probably had survivors remorse, right, and you know kill
everything kill? Yes, yes, Now you said you talked about
earlier about your father, you know, being you know, instrumental
in supporting you through AA and and just various times
throughout your life's journey. So for you, what is having
a support since the mean?
Speaker 5 (22:41):
Oh it uh and mean it means a lot in
the beginning, it just it just means like my father
supported me, not only he supported me being a sister,
not being a sister.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Because my father and I were together when we when
we took care of my mom, and my father was.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Was always there.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
He never said anything negative about the community anything. They
were like, what are you doing? And nothing negative about
Danny and I just came into the rooms. And then
my father died, So he didn't really ever he hasn't
he never. He was never with me in my full
sobriety so to speak, in the rooms of AA. But
up until then he would always support me, always, always,
(23:24):
and that was like to me, like I just knew
the love he had for me, and the love and
it carried me. It truly carried me. Because to be
honest with you, if I came from a real dysfunctional family,
which I know there are many, I mean, yes, we
had our yelling, you know, the Italians we yelled or everything.
(23:46):
But if my family's you know, it's just say of
my family's are alcohol like really dysfunctional.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
I don't know where it would be today.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
So their love and their support and that helped me,
especially my dad, because my mom died young. I mean
it's about thirty five years now since she passed, and
my dad just died like eight years ago, nine years
ago now, so.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
But yet they carried me. They carried me.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
And now today, of course I have the different kind
of support. I have a support that I live with
my I live with Brian, I have his support, I
have the support of AA. I have friends outside of
the rooms that support me. An idea of my family,
we're still you know, close, We all spread apart, but
we're still close and we support each other. We're you know,
(24:33):
we have different paths, different roots, but you know we
come together with weddings and funerals.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
And things like that.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
So so, and the most support I have I experience
is with God, with my higher power today.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
No, that's wonderful. Now I know you're going to make
ten years of sobriety in April, right, yes, God willing?
All right. So now you've just recently made ten years
of sobriety. Congratulations to you.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
What are remarkable achievements? So, what are the most significant
insights you've gained that can inspire listeners who are on
their sobriety journey.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
There's so many because when I what I gained through
the what what the program has given me has given
me my life back, has given me the person that
I've been searching for in my whole life, which is
Gina within me. Has given me the true freedom that
I have been seeking for throughout my life, and I
(25:38):
would never ever thought I would be in the rooms
of AA to find it.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
AA. You know, A has given me a life.
Speaker 4 (25:46):
Of my wildest dreams, the things that I today I
could handle life on life's terms, without picking up a drink,
without feeling or without saying why me, you know, without
going to my pity couch, that which I used to
love to go to, and like I shared with you,
(26:07):
when my mom had died, I had of course, I
was not in the program. I had no faith, and
it was pure hell to me. Hell is no faith,
no hope, no love, no God. Nine years ago, like
within the year of my sobriety, my father died and
I knew what to do.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
I went to a meeting, I made those phone calls.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
I went into the meeting and I shared and I cried,
but it was a healthy cry.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
It wasn't like, oh poor me, and so look at me,
and oh my god, my dad died. So I learned
not to be a victim anymore.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
I've learned so much with the twelve Steps, with the
with the program of AA has given me, has given
really has given me a life back, a new life,
and that's what we always say, it's like a design
for living and it's a new life that they've given me.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
So today I'm able to be in the present.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
I'm able to live life on life's terms because I
make that, can make those healthy choices today instead of running.
I mean, I was a runner and a denier and
I don't need to I don't need to be that.
And Plus, the last thing I'll share with you, doctor Rowe,
is that one thing that I I was paralyzed throughout
(27:23):
my life.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
With fear, fear, fear.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
By the time I came into the rooms, I was
filled with fear, filled with anger. I hated God because ultimately,
Danny died from this disease, so I know what this
disease does. I found him dead, so I'm on both
ends of the spectrum. So I know this disease will
kill you if we don't, you know, if one doesn't
(27:48):
take care of it, so it doesn't fool around, it
doesn't fool around. But yet, like with Danny, with Danny
dying from this disease, that's where I came into the
rooms and when I came to realize I'm an alcoholic
like his death, and it gave me life, gave me
a new life again, a new beginning, and not only that,
(28:09):
gave me a new relationship with God that's so much
greater and powerful than I ever had in my whole life.
And I find that and like I said, now, and
the last thing I'll say is because he referred to it,
I have that true peace and serenity within my heart
and my being and my life today, and that's what
(28:29):
I chase for today after having ten years.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
I love to hear that, Gina. I love to hear that,
you know, when we are searching for that peace and
serenity and that love that we desire, and then when
we truly can find it within God, it does really
feel remarkable and it feels it does feel peaceful and
call me and it's almost like you were walking around
(28:57):
with a constant hug.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
I don't know, and then now.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
It is, Oh, it totally, it totally.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
You're like in the light all the time.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
I mean, I've been in the darkness for so many years,
and celebrating ten years of sobriety, it's like I have.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
To I have to pinch myself at times.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
I'm sorry, doctor Robe, because I'm just emotional because I
was there was a time that I was in such
a dark place that I thought that was my life.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
I thought I would never I just was like, take me.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
I was simply existing to this world and.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
And I just I don't know. God did for me
what I couldn't do for myself.
Speaker 4 (29:39):
And and you know, celebrating those ten years, it just
it's been such joy and it's a miracle. And and
that's why I share my story because it's such a
passion because if it could happen to me, it could
happen to anyone as they can find their dece and
serenity within.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
It may and it may.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
Not be in the rooms. It may be in it
different room with different circumstances, but there is peace within
us because we come from peace, We come from LFE
when we're born. I believe that's just my you know,
theologian one on one.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Sorry, I'm just.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
No, thank you for sharing that, Gina, because that's what
this show is about, right This show is about being
vulnerable and sharing that vulnerability with the listeners so that
the listeners can understand that whatever they are going through here,
you are sharing your story, but you came out on
the other side, no matter how difficult it was at
(30:37):
the time, but you kept moving forward and you got
through it. And that is the beauty of this this show,
And that's what I hope that this show gives people
hope and promise and faith that they can push through
and they can find strength somewhere, whether it's through other
people or within themselves, but they can find the strength
(30:58):
over whatever hurdle of adversity that they are trying to
get over. So I appreciate that, Gina just so much.
Now I have to ask you as we're closing out, Okay,
in your opinion, what do you believe is the best
way for someone to start building resilience.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
To don't give up, keep moving forward. There's so many
resources out there, and know that it's worth it. I mean,
it's like you got to pick yourself up and just
keep moving forward without thinking about it and reaching out
and talking and for me, I would have I also
have to say, tears are my best friends. And that's
(31:39):
what I learned doctor Road, that it is okay to feel.
So if you're going through a life situation, now feel
it out. If you're angry, yes, I'm angry, I'm angry.
I'm angry. If you want to cry, and cry.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Just feel it out, write it out.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
I did a lot of journaling, so writing it out
brings it to life, and it also dissipates, you know,
once we acknowledge that we feel this way just and
then of course, you know, you reach out to a
higher power, to God, the universe of someone you know
who has that strength and that and not to and
(32:16):
that also you're not alone because we're all in it together.
So yes, well, thank you Gina for sharing your journey
of resilience with the listeners today and with me. Your
story is a powerful reminder of the strength found in faith,
community and perseverance. So to the listeners, may Gina's journey
(32:38):
inspire you to embrace challenges with courage and resilience. So
how can our listeners find and connect with you?
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Ah?
Speaker 4 (32:46):
Yes, I do have a website, Gina Ekon dot com,
and I did write my book, my memoir Shake the
Dust off your feet and walk. But you'll find all
the information on my website, Gina Econ dot com.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Do you have any last words of encouragement for the listeners?
Speaker 3 (33:03):
If nobody told you that they love you today, I do.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I love it. I love it now, Gina, I appreciate
your insights on building resilience and the importance of authentic conversations.
I wish you all the best as you approach as
you approach your incredible sobriety milestone, because I'm hoping to
hear you know, and you get to fifteen and twenty
and twenty five.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Amen. Amen, So God's grace one day in my time.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Yes, So thank you for being with me on the
Life Jack the Resilience Podcast. I wish you and your
family nothing but blessings and abundance. Please take care.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Thank you, doctor Rowland.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
To all your listeners, stop blessed Xena Econopolis.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Everyone, be sure to join me next time for more
uplifting stories and insights on resilience. Until then, keep pushing forward,
embrace the journey, and remember that every setback could lead
to a greater comeback. Doctor Rowe signing off
Speaker 4 (34:21):
Sh
What do you do when life hands you profound loss
and grief and you're left searching for peace and serenity?
Today on Life Jack to the Resilience Podcast, I welcome
Gina Economopolis, whose journey is a testament to resilience and faith.
Born in Science, New York to a vibrant Italian and
(00:22):
Greek family, Gina's life took unexpected turns after graduating from
Eastern Connecticut State University. Following her mother's passing, who embarks
on a twelve year convent journey. Now as an end
of life doula on the Jersey Shore, she offers compassion
to those in their final moments. Her path through sobriety
(00:43):
as a committed alcoholics anonymous member has been both challenging
and transformative. Zina's story is one of moving forward through
life's toughest trials. Join me, doctor Roche as we explore
Gina's inspiring journey and the resilience that fuels her spirit.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Sometimes life gives us lemons, Sometimes it gives us lemonade.
Other Times it gives us something entirely out of left
field that makes us say w t F. But no
matter what obstacles come, there is most often a way
out from the other side, and we are once again victorious.
(01:29):
My name is doctor Row and you are listening to
my podcast about resilience. Every guest shares a tragedy to
triumph story to give listeners like you the inspiration to
push through every single day. Listen now as my next
guest shares how they were like Jack.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Hi, Gina, welcome, Thank you so much for me a
guest on my show. How are you?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I am doing great?
Speaker 4 (02:00):
And hi doctor rowe into all your listeners and yeah,
it's been a fabulous.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Day, fantastic. Now, of course you grew up in a
strong Italian and Greek family and so with that there
are comes call certain cultural values, right, there are certain
things we do and certain things we don't do, as
within all families, but I know that within Italian and
Greek families, the culture is very strong and they kind
(02:26):
of dictates how you behave. So how did the culture
that you were brought up in and raised in, how
did that influence your approach to dealing with loss and adversity.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Well, yes, my mother was Italian and my dad was Greek,
and it was totally different cultures because they connected back
in the fifties and and that wasn't really heard of.
And so when they brought two families together, you know,
two different cultures, to me, it was a great, great match.
(02:59):
I mean, I loved my parents.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
They they did.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
They gave us unconditional love. I'm from one of eight kids.
We were raised Catholics, so my dad, being Greek Orthodox
when he married mom, came into the Catholic church and
raised the family. We were raised Catholic, but granted we did,
you know, have Greek Easter. We celebrated Greek Easter with
(03:23):
all the Greeks on my dad's side, and of course
with the Italians. We celebrated Easter, and we always celebrated.
That's one thing about our culture. We like to celebrate
and have fun and.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Lots of food and lots of food, right, delicious food.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
I have to ask, Yes, homemade, homemade nothing. Yes, my
mother never heard had anything from a jar at all
growing up.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
I love it. I love it. So how did that
influence your approach to dealing with loss and adversity especially
was the two different backgrounds?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Well, you know, I mean, like I said, I was
raised Catholic, but yet at the same time, I just
went through.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
The motions and being.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
I mean, my first loss was, you know, was when
my mom died, when when I was twenty two years old.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
So in a way, by that.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Time, I wasn't going to church. I wasn't real I
wasn't yet I wasn't going to church, not that I
didn't believe in God. So it was it was quite difficult,
you know, to handle loss when I didn't have faith.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
I didn't have any hope.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
I didn't have a relationship with God, you know, because
even though I was raised in the Catholic Church, I
just did not grasp within me.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Okay, I understand, Pagina. Can you take us back to
the moment when you decided to embark on your twelve
year convent journey, because that's not an easy decision. That's
not a decision that most young women make. They want
to just run away and then sometimes you hear that
but I'm just gonna run away and viet nun if
(05:06):
they're not really serious.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
But you did that.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
So how did you arrive at this decision?
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Well, you know, it's so funny because as a young girl,
we all.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Are I should say, I'll speak for myself.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
I always wanted to, uh, of course, you know, grow up,
I wanted to get married and I wanted to have
eight kids.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I never you know, being a nun did never crossed
my mind at all.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
And but then when I went through college, you know,
I didn't find my guy, et cetera, whatever, so I ended.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I mean, of course I never got married. But it
was through my mom's.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
Death, like I shared earlier, that where I didn't have
any faith, I came through searching and I came back
to the Catholic Church. I came back to my roots.
One would say I had a Saint Paul conversion. I
would like to say I fell off my barstool instead
of the horse, and I'm I'm like, oh my God,
there is a God. And there was through a lot
(06:02):
of pain and suffering and grief that I came to
find out that there is a God, that there is
a heaven, and there's a place for all of us.
And in that, I, in my heart, I went from
one extreme of living a very sadomamoral you know, partying
you know, away from God, come.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
To love God.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
And then in that I'm like, okay, I mean I
was twenty nine years old, so I wasn't really a
young per I mean, I guess I was young because
there was a lot a lot of the sisters were
a lot younger than me that chose this vocation. But
I was like, yeah, you know, I'm gonna I'm going
to join the convent. I'm going to join the conference because,
to be honest, doctor Rowe, I was searching for that
(06:43):
love and acceptance throughout my whole life. So here, you know,
I get in touch with God. I feel God's love. Okay,
what's my next do? Yeah, let me go join the convent.
So so I did, and and that was a it
was an experience, won't we say?
Speaker 3 (07:01):
I lived. I was a Franciscan nun. So I lived
a life of poverty, chastity, obedience. I was, I mean,
I was a great nun. Everybody loved me.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
I have a personality twas and even I mean before
I was a nun, and before my mom died, I
was a bartender.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
So I had like a real what what would say,
like a life like.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Wow, a bartender been becoming a nun and and it's like.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah yeah, and it was. And and a lot of
the young kids, a lot of youth.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Like wanted to hear my story. Up until that time.
And yeah, so I did you know twelve years I
was as a sister, like I was a very well
known sister, a very famous sister.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
But in the long run, at the end of my twelve.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Years, I endured a lot of pain and suffering, and
I felt like that was a story in my life,
his pain and suffering.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
And and I got kicked out. Make a long story short,
I got kicked out.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
So I know that you were, I mean essentially kicked
out or basically asked to not return you. We asked
to leave the convent. And so when that happened, knowing
that you were trying to go there, you were searching
for that love. You were, you know, searching to be
closer to God and be of service. And because of
(08:21):
certain actions, you know, you're basically an illness that you
have because really it wasn't just about you. You had
an illness. And and so that caused, you know, for them,
for them to ask you not to leave. So how
did that feel?
Speaker 3 (08:37):
How did they feel when I left?
Speaker 4 (08:38):
When they asked me to leave, I was, Yeah, I
have to say I felt rejected, I felt betrayed.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I was very hurt. I gave my.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Blood sweat and tears to this community. All along I
was struggling. There were times that I wanted to leave,
but yet I had listened to my superior and the
priest who was the founder of our community, and and
they kept saying, oh, you belong here, you belong here.
And all I kept thiguring is that I'm just suffering.
(09:10):
I'm just simply suffering for this I've because I you know,
I have a personality plus and when it came when
it comes down to her in hindsight, my person my
personality class with the community. It wasn't like I did
anything wrong. I wasn't a bad person. I was a
threat to them.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
And and so.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
During as I kept discerning and they kept saying, no,
you belong here, I said, okay. I made final vows,
which meant like I married God, I married the church,
I married to the community, gave my whole life, had
nothing continue.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
And that was a very peaceful moment. It was a
joyful moment.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
So I'm like, ah, I got this piece, this is
where God wants me to be. And then things things
started happening, which I felt like I was back on
the cross again. One would say and uh, and then
and especially in the last two years of my religious life.
They sent me away. They thought I had problems. They
they would just you know, they they would say, what
(10:14):
happened to you as a child.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
And I'm thinking, I don't. I really don't know, because
honestly I was, I was a good person. And uh.
But then and then I did once again, I went.
I went.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
I was sent away like in two years. I was
finding from one place to another. And then finally when
I'm like, yeah, I got it, I got it, you know.
And but then the community didn't receive me. And then
they said to me, oh, you don't belong here anymore.
That was the last thing they said to me. And
I'm like, oh, my gosh. You know. I was like, so,
(10:50):
I was like, you you had asked me, how did
I feel? I felt rejected, abandoned, lost. I came back
into the world. So this is in the year two
thousand and eight. So I you know, I missed twelve
years of being in the world because I lived in
austereal life.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
I slept on the floor.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
We didn't have rugs, we didn't have cushions. Simple habit,
full habit, didn't have anything else to my name and
when I left, I didn't really have I didn't have
anything to my name because I gave it all up,
my money, everything, car, you name it. I didn't have
nothing to my name. So when I left the convent,
(11:30):
I ended up going to live with men and women
with disabilities adult men for a transition time because I
was confused, who am I? I'm not Sister Regina anymore?
Why why did this happen to me?
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Why? Why did God reject me? Why did God marry me?
Speaker 4 (11:49):
So I had all those questions that were painful and hurtful.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Now I understand that because you mentioned that you have been,
you know, in the past, that you were searching for
peace and serenity. So yes, once you found it, right
like and I'm just thinking hypoth like saying speaking hypothetically.
So once you if you would find this piece and
(12:15):
serenity that you were searching for, what did you think
you were going to find? What was that going to
mean to you?
Speaker 4 (12:22):
I you know, that's that's a very good question, doctor Rode,
because what was going to mean to me is like,
how like that freedom inside? Because you know, not only
I was searching for that piece, because my insights were
full of fear, like insecurity. I didn't have confidence. I
didn't like myself. So I was looking for that place
(12:44):
to belong, to find that peace. And what I was
looking for was like a freedom within, like a freedom
within my mind, heart and soul, and like say, aha,
this is where God wants me. This is what God
wants me to do. Is that what this one wants
me to do? This is what God wants me to do.
And I love myself because even as a nun, I
(13:05):
didn't like myself. I was wearing a full habit. I
was a very how you say it was. I was
a beautiful nun. I told everyone everybody loved them, you know,
God loves them. But deep down there was a soul
sickness within me. There was an emptiness that I was
trying to fill. And I thought being in the sisters,
(13:25):
you know, I mean, that's a high calling from God.
I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna be stilled. I'm gonna be filled.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
But I'm not. I wasn't.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
I wasn't filled the way that I thought I would
be filled for the rest.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Of my life.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
There was a lot, like it was a lot of
suffering and pain that I had gone through real dark
time in my life, real dark, real dark. And during
that time, I kept thinking to myself the reason why
I was so confused. I'm like, but God, why are
these people doing this to me? Religious people? I couldn't understand.
(14:02):
I couldn't understand what I really did was wrong. I
didn't kill anyone, but I felt like I did the
way I was treated.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Right now, can you describe the turning point when you
realize this is not going well, I really have a
problem and that you needed sobriety, Like did it just
kind of knock you over the head or just one
night you woke up and a drunken sipper for just.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Like you know what?
Speaker 1 (14:32):
This is some sick of this? You know how did
that happen for you?
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Well, to be.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Honest with you, doctor Rode, the disease was so cunny
and baffling, citious. As a nun, I didn't know I
was an alcoholic.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
I didn't know.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
That was a missing puzzle in my life, the missing
piece I do have to say. At the end of
my religious life, the sisters said that I drank too much,
but I'm like, no.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Not me. I'm Genie kind of a sister of Gina
your gina.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
Oh no, no, because I was never really familiar with
alcoholism or alcoholics. I just thought they were bums on
the streets in a paperbag, That's what I thought.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
So here I did. But I did like my alcohol.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
I mean I did drink in the common I did
sneak it, but that wasn't really a problem because it
was I was drinking.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
The fear away, the pain away. And that's what I
did with alcohol, my whole wife, That's what I was.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
It was like became my best friend to try to
be someone that I thought I wanted to be, but
I really wasn't because the next day I became me.
You know, it was like, oh, be the life of
the party or life as a sister, etcetera. So so
it took me a lot more journey I had to do.
I had to go through a lot more pain and
suffering before coming into the rooms of AA and after
(15:53):
I went to work with the men with disabilities. This
is the point that I was kind of tired of serving.
I did a lot of serving of you know, hands
on with people and helping people out. So I decided
to come to the Jersey Shore. So I come to
the Jersey Shore. I get first time ever. I went
an apartment, didn't know how, first time ever doing things,
(16:15):
which because I'm in my forties, because I really did
not know how, because I was taking care of it
by the convent as well as you know, the House
of the Disability, you know house I was living at.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
They helped me out. So here I'm I'm by myself.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
Thank god, my dad was alive at the time, so
he kind of helped me with fil you know, what
to do, what not to I didn't know. Thank god,
I found an apartment with furniture because I wouldn't even
know how to find furniture. So anyhow, I come to
the Jersey Shore. I'm a block away from the beach.
I needed a job. And what's the best thing that
Gina knows how to do besides being a sister and
(16:52):
doing social work or service, which I did not want
to do. Gina knew how to Bartend, so I went
back to my environment of Barten.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
So I'm like, Okay, this is it.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
I'm going to Bartend again and and just to get myself.
At that time, I didn't know what I wanted to do.
I was just so hurt by the church, you know,
by life.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
And this was two years.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
After I left the convent, that I came here, you know,
to bartend and to live here.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
And so I'm here.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Bartending, and of course nobody knew I was a nun
former nun, I should say former none. I kept that
to myself, and people asked me. I said I was
a social worker because doctor Rowe Right, like right after
I left the convent, I would tell everyone I was
a nun. I got kicked out, and nobody ever called me.
I'm talking about guys like I would try I meet
(17:43):
a guy somewhere and they would never call me. I said, okay,
that doesn't work. So this time I just said I'm
a social worker. So here I am bartending. And Danny
walks into the bar and a nice gentleman. We started
talking and then we ended up starting dating. We ended
up dating. It was the first gentleman after the convent.
I did not leave the convent for him. It was
(18:06):
two years later and I said, okay, maybe this is
my path, because like I said earlier, I.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Always wanted to get married and have eight kids.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
And you know, by now I'm in my forties, I
know I won't have those eight kids. But maybe I'll
get married in a live a white picket sense. I mean,
that's all I wanted to do. And so when Danny
came along, we dated. We he won't you know, we
fell in love. But he comes to find out that
I was a nun. It didn't scare him. I was like, okay,
(18:36):
thank god.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
And then and then.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
I come to find out that he was the alcoholic
and that he was drinking at the time. And I'm like, oh,
I said, okay, just stop drinking, and he's like, and
he did.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
He tried, and he tried and he tried. I went
to alan On, which is a twelve step program. He
encouraged me to go to alan On. So I'm like, okay,
I'll go to alan On.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
And that's where I got familiar with the twelve steps
and with the program itself. So here I'm more focusing
on Danny on his disease.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
He was a real drunk.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
I mean, I had liked to drink and drinking. You know,
I drank, I couldn't stop. But he, you know, I
was comparing, but at that time I was so further
from my mind of my own disease. So but anyhow,
Danny got sober so I was like, oh my god,
thank god Danny got sober. He found his sobriety out west.
(19:33):
Back in twenty twelve in the summer, he comes to
Jersey and he's like, Gina. He goes, I'm gonna go
move out there, and would you come out there. I said,
I'll go anywhere, timbukto to support to sobriety, because he
was a great man when he's sober, they are great,
great people sober.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
And so he comes in the car, so now here
doctor roh. I'm like, yeah, this is it.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
This is my goal.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
This has been you know, finally something's turning good for
me that I don't have to go through pain and
suffering of my whole life.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
You know, this is good, this is great.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
His mom goes for a ride and I couldn't go
because I had a work. I did have a different
job at the time. So I said, once, you know,
in a month or two months, you get settled or
move out there, we'll get married, et cetera. Well, when
they do it, when they went through Indiana, they got
into a horrific car accident. I got that phone call
(20:31):
the next morning, you know, that tragic phone call that
nobody wants to hear to say that Danny and Mom
got into the accident. Mom died, Mom burned up, Danny
burned up, and we don't know if he's going to live.
So I'm like what And of course, you know I did.
I mean, at this time, I'm still talking to God
(20:53):
and you know, like God, how can this be?
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Why me? That's my whole life?
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Why me?
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Why me?
Speaker 4 (21:00):
And so of course I went out to Indiana to
be with him. I uprooted here. He did, you know,
survived the accident, but he was burnt half of his body.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
He was sober, sixty days sober, but he was sober.
And we were out.
Speaker 4 (21:15):
There, we got connected with the AA rooms out there,
met a lot of sober people. They took a sin
we you know, he had to go through wound care.
So like, ah, this is it. Okay, We'll go to Indianapolis.
That's our timbuks two whatever.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Whatever.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
We got engaged and a little behold, you know what
does an alcoholic do? Which I know is you know,
when you're in so much pain, emotional, spiritual.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
You drink, you go back to drinking. It's a disease, all.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
Right, I mean, and here doctor Roe, he saw his
mother burn.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Up in this accident.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
Even though they hit like five trees, he wasn't unconscious.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
So I was so angry with guys, So why couldn't
you knock him out? So he saw he was the.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
First person that knew his mom had died in that accident,
and and he wanted to die.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
But somebody saved him and saved him and.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
I'm like, but no, God saved you for me, etcetera. So,
but what does an alcoholic do when they're in so
much pain like that? That he picked up, he started
to and more.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
He probably had survivors remorse, right, and you know kill
everything kill? Yes, yes, Now you said you talked about
earlier about your father, you know, being you know, instrumental
in supporting you through AA and and just various times
throughout your life's journey. So for you, what is having
a support since the mean?
Speaker 5 (22:41):
Oh it uh and mean it means a lot in
the beginning, it just it just means like my father
supported me, not only he supported me being a sister,
not being a sister.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Because my father and I were together when we when
we took care of my mom, and my father was.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Was always there.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
He never said anything negative about the community anything. They
were like, what are you doing? And nothing negative about
Danny and I just came into the rooms. And then
my father died, So he didn't really ever he hasn't
he never. He was never with me in my full
sobriety so to speak, in the rooms of AA. But
up until then he would always support me, always, always,
(23:24):
and that was like to me, like I just knew
the love he had for me, and the love and
it carried me. It truly carried me. Because to be
honest with you, if I came from a real dysfunctional family,
which I know there are many, I mean, yes, we
had our yelling, you know, the Italians we yelled or everything.
(23:46):
But if my family's you know, it's just say of
my family's are alcohol like really dysfunctional.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
I don't know where it would be today.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
So their love and their support and that helped me,
especially my dad, because my mom died young. I mean
it's about thirty five years now since she passed, and
my dad just died like eight years ago, nine years
ago now, so.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
But yet they carried me. They carried me.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
And now today, of course I have the different kind
of support. I have a support that I live with
my I live with Brian, I have his support, I
have the support of AA. I have friends outside of
the rooms that support me. An idea of my family,
we're still you know, close, We all spread apart, but
we're still close and we support each other. We're you know,
(24:33):
we have different paths, different roots, but you know we
come together with weddings and funerals.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
And things like that.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
So so, and the most support I have I experience
is with God, with my higher power today.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
No, that's wonderful. Now I know you're going to make
ten years of sobriety in April, right, yes, God willing?
All right. So now you've just recently made ten years
of sobriety. Congratulations to you.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
What are remarkable achievements? So, what are the most significant
insights you've gained that can inspire listeners who are on
their sobriety journey.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
There's so many because when I what I gained through
the what what the program has given me has given
me my life back, has given me the person that
I've been searching for in my whole life, which is
Gina within me. Has given me the true freedom that
I have been seeking for throughout my life, and I
(25:38):
would never ever thought I would be in the rooms
of AA to find it.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
AA. You know, A has given me a life.
Speaker 4 (25:46):
Of my wildest dreams, the things that I today I
could handle life on life's terms, without picking up a drink,
without feeling or without saying why me, you know, without
going to my pity couch, that which I used to
love to go to, and like I shared with you,
(26:07):
when my mom had died, I had of course, I
was not in the program. I had no faith, and
it was pure hell to me. Hell is no faith,
no hope, no love, no God. Nine years ago, like
within the year of my sobriety, my father died and
I knew what to do.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
I went to a meeting, I made those phone calls.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
I went into the meeting and I shared and I cried,
but it was a healthy cry.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
It wasn't like, oh poor me, and so look at me,
and oh my god, my dad died. So I learned
not to be a victim anymore.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
I've learned so much with the twelve Steps, with the
with the program of AA has given me, has given
really has given me a life back, a new life,
and that's what we always say, it's like a design
for living and it's a new life that they've given me.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
So today I'm able to be in the present.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
I'm able to live life on life's terms because I
make that, can make those healthy choices today instead of running.
I mean, I was a runner and a denier and
I don't need to I don't need to be that.
And Plus, the last thing I'll share with you, doctor Rowe,
is that one thing that I I was paralyzed throughout
(27:23):
my life.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
With fear, fear, fear.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
By the time I came into the rooms, I was
filled with fear, filled with anger. I hated God because ultimately,
Danny died from this disease, so I know what this
disease does. I found him dead, so I'm on both
ends of the spectrum. So I know this disease will
kill you if we don't, you know, if one doesn't
(27:48):
take care of it, so it doesn't fool around, it
doesn't fool around. But yet, like with Danny, with Danny
dying from this disease, that's where I came into the
rooms and when I came to realize I'm an alcoholic
like his death, and it gave me life, gave me
a new life again, a new beginning, and not only that,
(28:09):
gave me a new relationship with God that's so much
greater and powerful than I ever had in my whole life.
And I find that and like I said, now, and
the last thing I'll say is because he referred to it,
I have that true peace and serenity within my heart
and my being and my life today, and that's what
(28:29):
I chase for today after having ten years.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
I love to hear that, Gina. I love to hear that,
you know, when we are searching for that peace and
serenity and that love that we desire, and then when
we truly can find it within God, it does really
feel remarkable and it feels it does feel peaceful and
call me and it's almost like you were walking around
(28:57):
with a constant hug.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
I don't know, and then now.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
It is, Oh, it totally, it totally.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
You're like in the light all the time.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
I mean, I've been in the darkness for so many years,
and celebrating ten years of sobriety, it's like I have.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
To I have to pinch myself at times.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
I'm sorry, doctor Robe, because I'm just emotional because I
was there was a time that I was in such
a dark place that I thought that was my life.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
I thought I would never I just was like, take me.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
I was simply existing to this world and.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
And I just I don't know. God did for me
what I couldn't do for myself.
Speaker 4 (29:39):
And and you know, celebrating those ten years, it just
it's been such joy and it's a miracle. And and
that's why I share my story because it's such a
passion because if it could happen to me, it could
happen to anyone as they can find their dece and
serenity within.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
It may and it may.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
Not be in the rooms. It may be in it
different room with different circumstances, but there is peace within
us because we come from peace, We come from LFE
when we're born. I believe that's just my you know,
theologian one on one.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Sorry, I'm just.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
No, thank you for sharing that, Gina, because that's what
this show is about, right This show is about being
vulnerable and sharing that vulnerability with the listeners so that
the listeners can understand that whatever they are going through here,
you are sharing your story, but you came out on
the other side, no matter how difficult it was at
(30:37):
the time, but you kept moving forward and you got
through it. And that is the beauty of this this show,
And that's what I hope that this show gives people
hope and promise and faith that they can push through
and they can find strength somewhere, whether it's through other
people or within themselves, but they can find the strength
(30:58):
over whatever hurdle of adversity that they are trying to
get over. So I appreciate that, Gina just so much.
Now I have to ask you as we're closing out, Okay,
in your opinion, what do you believe is the best
way for someone to start building resilience.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
To don't give up, keep moving forward. There's so many
resources out there, and know that it's worth it. I mean,
it's like you got to pick yourself up and just
keep moving forward without thinking about it and reaching out
and talking and for me, I would have I also
have to say, tears are my best friends. And that's
(31:39):
what I learned doctor Road, that it is okay to feel.
So if you're going through a life situation, now feel
it out. If you're angry, yes, I'm angry, I'm angry.
I'm angry. If you want to cry, and cry.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Just feel it out, write it out.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
I did a lot of journaling, so writing it out
brings it to life, and it also dissipates, you know,
once we acknowledge that we feel this way just and
then of course, you know, you reach out to a
higher power, to God, the universe of someone you know
who has that strength and that and not to and
(32:16):
that also you're not alone because we're all in it together.
So yes, well, thank you Gina for sharing your journey
of resilience with the listeners today and with me. Your
story is a powerful reminder of the strength found in faith,
community and perseverance. So to the listeners, may Gina's journey
(32:38):
inspire you to embrace challenges with courage and resilience. So
how can our listeners find and connect with you?
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Ah?
Speaker 4 (32:46):
Yes, I do have a website, Gina Ekon dot com,
and I did write my book, my memoir Shake the
Dust off your feet and walk. But you'll find all
the information on my website, Gina Econ dot com.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Do you have any last words of encouragement for the listeners?
Speaker 3 (33:03):
If nobody told you that they love you today, I do.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I love it. I love it now, Gina, I appreciate
your insights on building resilience and the importance of authentic conversations.
I wish you all the best as you approach as
you approach your incredible sobriety milestone, because I'm hoping to
hear you know, and you get to fifteen and twenty
and twenty five.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Amen. Amen, So God's grace one day in my time.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Yes, So thank you for being with me on the
Life Jack the Resilience Podcast. I wish you and your
family nothing but blessings and abundance. Please take care.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Thank you, doctor Rowland.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
To all your listeners, stop blessed Xena Econopolis.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Everyone, be sure to join me next time for more
uplifting stories and insights on resilience. Until then, keep pushing forward,
embrace the journey, and remember that every setback could lead
to a greater comeback. Doctor Rowe signing off
Speaker 4 (34:21):
Sh
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