October 15, 2025 • 22 mins
What if “limited vision” became the spark for a more expansive life?
Suzi K. Edwards’ journey spans a legally blind childhood in the Caribbean, New York’s fashion scene, large-scale public mosaics, and beloved children’s books pairing kids and rescue dogs. Through creativity, resilience, and daily practices like gratitude and breathwork, she turned challenges into growth.
This episode explores confidence through ability, sustaining creativity in midlife, and using synchronicity to open new doors after 50. It’s for women over 50, creators, and anyone ready to reclaim their spark and see their future through a wider lens.
Resources
For a similar story on finding your joy, check episode 127 and 145 and you might also enjoy Wellness Wednesdays hosted by gerontologist Sally Duplantier. These webinars feature topics about healthy aging. Visit MyZingLife.com to learn more.
Beverley Glazer – Transition Coach & Host of Aging with Purpose and Passion
📧 Email
🌐 Website
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Suzi K Edwards – Artist, Author & Creator
🌐 Website
| 📺 YouTube: suzi k edwards | 📸 Instagram: @suzikedwards1 | ✍️ Substack: authorsuzikedwards
🎁 BONUS: Take your first step to clarity, courage and momentum. Your free checklist: → From Stuck to Unstoppable – is here.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Announcer (00:06):
Welcome to Aging with Purpose and Passion, the
podcast designed to inspire yourgreatness and thrive through
life.
Get ready to conquer yourfears.
Here's your host,psychotherapist, coach, and
empowerment expert, BeverleyGlazer.
Beverley Glazer (00:33):
What if every challenge life threw at you
became the material for yourgreatest creation?
Welcome to Aging with Purposeand Passion.
I'm Beverley Glazer, a catalystfor women who are ready to
raise the bar in their ownlives.
And you can find me onreInventimpossible.com.
Suzi K.
(00:53):
Edwards is a former New Yorkclothing designer.
She's a public artist, anauthor, and an illustrator who
was born legally blind.
She is the creator of TheDoggos, a book series for
children.
The memoir, The Quiet Mind, TheCrazy Heart, and her mosaics
(01:14):
and public art can be seen incommunities all across the
United States.
Susie has spent her lifetransforming her challenges into
creativity, and she believesthat every challenge holds the
seeds for growth, resilience,and joy.
Welcome, Susie.
(01:35):
Welcome.
Thank you so much.
Glad to be here.
Susie, your grandfather was achemist, and he was also a
bootlegger.
And this was during theprohibition.
Suzi K Edwards (01:49):
And what was life like for you as a child?
Well, I wasn't born duringprohibition.
I was born in the 1940s.
So when I came along, he he wasjust the sweetest man in the
world.
He always had time for me.
I grew up in the VirginIslands.
He built the first luxury hotelon St.
Thomas.
And I used to sit with him inthe lobby.
(02:10):
It was a big lobby with high,high ceilings.
And the guests would comefloating through and you know,
greet us.
And he was just a wonderful,wonderful guy.
He always had time for me,which was special.
Yeah, well, you were hisgranddaughter.
Beverley Glazer (02:23):
Correct.
And you were one of six, andthe oldest child and legally
blind.
Um, did that affect yourconfidence?
Suzi K Edwards (02:31):
Born legally blind.
Don't know what happened.
They never did figure it out.
Yes, but did that affect yourconfidence as a child?
Oh, yes, as a in in school, Iwas picked on.
I remember even in first grade,when I went to first grade, we
didn't they kids didn't startlike my grandson, you know,
started school at like two, andmy kids started at three.
So we started at you know, sixyears old.
(02:54):
And I remember I just didn'twant to go to school anymore
because the kids really pickedon me.
And that went on all throughelementary school, middle
school.
And, you know, high highschool, I went to boarding
school, and that was verydifferent.
It was a small school, and youknow, people appreciated you
more for your intelligence andyour humor, and it wasn't all
about how I look because I woreglasses since the time I was
(03:16):
two.
So I and they're thick ones,they're like coke bottles.
Sure.
Oh, sure.
I have them small because thebigger, because concave and
convex lenses, the bigger theyget, the the thicker they are.
So I keep them little.
So and I met as well.
I you know, I I still drive,and I'm 81 now, and I I still
drive, and I drive a BMW, and Ihave a pretty heavy foot.
(03:38):
I'm always slowing down.
Don't want tickets.
Beverley Glazer (03:40):
So um, but Cissy, let's go back there.
You were also brought up inthat hotel, right?
Okay, which is really alsounusual.
It wasn't just you, it was theentire family was taken from the
U.S.
and everyone was living on thehotel.
What was it like growing up ina hotel?
I mean, there was three years.
Suzi K Edwards (04:00):
Yeah, it was yeah, you know it was
interesting because when thereweren't a lot of guests, I had
my own room.
So we had a suite.
We had a family suite, myparents had a bedroom, my
brother and I shared a bedroom.
And then when the hotel wasquiet, there was a little room,
a little single room that wasrented to guests.
But when the hotel was quiet, Ihad my own room.
And then when the hotel gotbusy, I shared the room with my
(04:23):
brother.
And one thing that my fatherdid tell stories about how we
would order room service, and wewould order all these really
fancy dishes from room service.
So instead of, you know, havingmom cook or a cook cook, we
ordered room service.
And that's what we came toknow.
And then when I was around 10or 11, I moved to the hotel, I
was six when we moved to theislands.
(04:44):
And then um, when I was 10 or11, we built our own houses up
the hill from the hotel.
So my grandparents, my aunt anduncle, and our house were all
kind of in a row.
Um, and I think they had anarchitect and they all used the
same plan, but everybody changedtheir bit.
So we sort of made a little ourown little suburb.
And that was uh the hotel wasmore fun, actually.
(05:05):
But you know, we would thehotel was just down there, so my
brother and my cousin and Iwould go and we'd still play.
Beverley Glazer (05:12):
But you were also I was with the dogs, of
course.
But you were also legally blindand you became creative.
How did you express thatcreativity as a child?
Suzi K Edwards (05:22):
Drawing, you know, I had dolls, I love my
dolls, and I would make littleclothes for them.
You know, I I I was always aterrible seamstress.
Even when I went to LondonCollege of Fashion, I mean I was
I was always a good designer.
I always had the creativeideas, but I never had the
patience to sew properly.
So I remember at London Collegeof Fashion, there were these
women from Africa that were abit older than we were.
(05:44):
I was around 1819 when I wentto school there.
And there were women maybe intheir 30s, and they came from
Africa to learn how to beseamstresses.
So I would pay them to do mysewing.
If I designed something, I likeI remember this yellow plaid
wool pant suit that I created,and I would have other people
sew them because I mean I had tolearn how to sew, but I just
(06:04):
was never good at it.
And I hate so there you go.
But you were also I love towrite.
I love to create.
So I mean that's that's the funthing for me.
Beverley Glazer (06:13):
But you went back, you went back to New York,
and you got a job on SeventhAvenue.
Suzi K Edwards (06:18):
It was a great synchronistic story.
Yes, I did.
I landed a fantastic job justthrough a connection.
It just happened, and it's inmy book.
I'm not gonna tell you thestory, but it's in my book.
And you know, I found that themost amazing things in my life
happened throughsynchronicities.
Beverley Glazer (06:36):
Okay.
So now you're in New York.
Okay, you're a designer.
Were you ever challenged as adesigner who's legally blind?
Suzi K Edwards (06:44):
No, because I can see with glasses.
I mean, with glasses, with oneeye I can't see at all.
One eye is uncorrectable.
And my good eye, I have 2200vision in my good eye, but with
glasses, I have 2030 vision.
That's why I can drive and Ican function.
And my left eye, I can't see atall, but the right eye
compensates.
So that's it.
The body compensates for whatdoesn't work.
(07:05):
So you know, I manage.
But without glasses, I mean, ifI take off my glasses in the
bedroom and I don't know where Iput them and I can't find them,
I'm like feeling around likethis.
I have to go get another pairof glasses and put them on so I
can find my glasses.
It's it's it's bad, but youknow, you manage.
You just manage.
That's true.
That's true.
But then what drew you tospirituality?
(07:27):
Oh, let's see.
Uh, divorce.
Divorce.
Divorce.
So I I got I had my firstmarriage when I was, I think,
23, and that lasted three orfour years.
And and um, you know, he was agreat guy, and I loved him, but
you know, I was paying all thebills, and that's sort of been
the way because I always didwell.
I always made money throughsome kind of creative pursuit.
(07:49):
And I just got tired of payingall the bills, and it just kind
of didn't work out.
So, but then I was heartbrokenbecause I I loved him.
So I I decided to leave being aclothing designer, and I went
up to Woodstock, and I lived ina teepee, and I started staring
tarot cards, and and it therewere there was no yoga then.
I mean, it was yoga was juststarting, and then I found out
(08:09):
about a yoga teacher trainingcourse down in the Bahamas on
Paradise Island.
So I signed up and I in 1973 Idid my yoga teacher training,
and I've been doing yoga mywhole life.
So now not so much anymore.
I'm a little bit lazy, but I dothe meditation a lot.
But the the physical yoga, as Isay, I'm a little lazy.
But you also uh went to India.
(08:31):
Yeah, I went to India.
I've been there twice.
I went there in the 70s as adevotee, you know, with just a
little a backpack and a and aand a sleeping bag and wearing
saris.
And I was there for two monthsthen.
And then I went again maybeabout 10 years ago and stayed in
fancy hotels and you know, Iwent with Abakrami and Kent, so
(08:51):
it was a very differentexperience.
But, you know, I mean I loveIndia, but it's India's rough,
you know, there's so muchpoverty.
It's it's depressing.
It's hard, it's hard to dealwith.
You know, coming from America,you see a lot of homeless people
here, but nothing like what yousee in India.
Beverley Glazer (09:05):
No, no.
But after the divorce of yourhusband, um, he also died and
left you.
Suzi K Edwards (09:13):
He didn't know he didn't die for a long time.
I mean, he he didn't after Idivorced him, he went on and he
he he was British and he wentback to England.
He met an Israeli soldier.
He was a soldier.
Um, he was in the British Armyand then he joined the American
Army, and then he went back andhe met a woman who, an Israeli
woman, and they went and livedin Israel and had two kids.
(09:35):
And I know this because maybeabout five years ago, I get this
email from somebody calledOdelia Jean Channing, and she
asked if I was married to herfather in the Virgin Islands,
you know, back in the 70s.
And I said, yes.
I thought it has to be a scam.
How can this be real?
But it was real.
She had found after he died,she went through letters that
(09:56):
she found between his mother andme, and you know, learned about
me.
And somehow she's very smart.
She goes to Oxford getting hermaster's in in psychology from
Oxford, and she figured it out,and she found my email address,
and we've been communicating.
He had a good life, and then hedied, you know, maybe when he
(10:17):
was in his 50s.
Beverley Glazer (10:18):
Okay.
Yes, but that's so young, andyou have boys of your own.
Suzi K Edwards (10:22):
Well, that I had no children with him, but my
second husband also died in his50s.
Uh, unfortunately, I have twogreat sons.
Uh, he was he was a drugie, soyou know, unfortunately, he when
he was in his 50s, he wasn't hewas clean.
But, you know, the body takes alot of uh abuse from early drug
use, and even when they'reolder, he still smokes
(10:44):
cigarettes.
He was smoking and using anicotine patch to stop smoking
at the same time, so that'snever a good thing.
Anyway, he died at 53.
And fortunately, my sons aredoing well.
One's a lawyer, one's a doctor,uh happily married, and you
know, they're great, they're intheir 40s, and and we have very
good relationships.
Beverley Glazer (11:01):
You say this so casually.
Suzi K Edwards (11:04):
What part about him dying?
Beverley Glazer (11:06):
Oh yeah, exactly.
Suzi K Edwards (11:08):
You just can't well, it's a long time ago now.
I mean, you know, he uh uh likehe was my same age, so he died,
it's almost 30 years ago, soit's not like it was some
something that just happened.
Beverley Glazer (11:19):
No, no.
But for for people listening,you know, these are ups and
downs in your life.
It's really quite something.
And what I see is Susie Edwardskeeps pulling herself up no
matter what.
Suzi K Edwards (11:32):
The meditation too, it helps.
You know, sitting themeditation, the breathing.
It makes a difference.
Beverley Glazer (11:38):
And how did you get into ceramics?
Suzi K Edwards (11:41):
I just started doing them, you know,
everything.
I just started doing them.
And then actually, I I took amosaic class, and I met this guy
in the mosaic class who justhappened to be taking the class.
He was adorable, and he justhappened to be taking the class
because the friend of his wasteaching it, and he was doing
something for her, some kind ofcomputer stuff for her.
She says, She said, Oh, well,take my class, you know, in
(12:03):
exchange.
And um, and he came with hisdaughter, who was 10, and we
were all doing mosaics, and thenhe and I became friends, and
then we became boyfriend andgirlfriend, and we we were
together for eight years, and wedid mosaics together, and then
I started making samples andputting them in showrooms and
getting jobs, and that's how Igot into the public art.
Beverley Glazer (12:22):
Exactly.
Public art, though, is reallyquite something.
You have to land thosecommissions.
Suzi K Edwards (12:26):
How did you do that?
Landing the commissions ishard, but doing the work is even
harder because they're big.
I did four projects for adeveloper, 30 feet by 10 feet,
on the side of seven-storybuildings.
So, you know, designing themand making them is hard, but
then the installations were veryhard.
And I had a a crew I had ateam, a couple that did all the
(12:48):
installations, and they workedon a lift, a hydraulic lift, and
the lift would sway becausethey were up so high.
And and the wife, it was ahusband and wife, and and she
had to take dramamine becauseshe was getting notches from the
from the lift swaying.
So I would just sit at thebottom and say, oh no, do that
over there, you know, and tellthem what to do.
Everything was I'm reallyorganized.
So everything was kind ofthey're on, um, they didn't put
(13:09):
the little pieces on the wall.
They're all done on mesh.
So they had a maybe if a apiece, maybe a foot by two feet
of mesh.
And they're all numbered andthey all have little, like in
sewing, you have these littlenotches that go together.
And this, I, you know, Ilearned from the sewing, I
learned the same thing.
So nobody taught me how to dothe public art.
I didn't go to school for it.
(13:30):
I just learned basic mosaicsand then just kind of figured it
out.
And, you know, the first jobwas harder, and then you kind of
get good at it.
You just learn, you know, youjust do it.
But I don't think anymore.
No, I stopped doing it becauseyou never get paid enough money
and it's too hard work.
So I started doing the doggos,and that's my favorite thing to
do now.
So I do the drawings on my iPadand Procreate.
(13:52):
I'll just show you a drawing.
Oh, that's that's the schoolprincipal, and the boys are in
the background, they got introuble, so they're in the
principal's office.
So anyway, I do them in thisprogram called Procreate on my
iPad, and that was anothersynchronicity.
I was my my youngest son is adoctor, and he, I guess he had
was going out to do hisresidency in uh Minneapolis.
(14:14):
So I took him out there on theplane.
Like we were in New York orFlorida, I can't remember.
I took him out there on theplane to get them settled, you
know, buy him furniture for theplace, you know, do all the good
mom stuff.
And coming back, I was sittingon the plane and the guy was
drawing on an iPad next to me.
This was like at least 10 yearsago.
And I said, What are you doing?
And he said, It's Procreate.
(14:34):
And I said, What's that?
And he said, Oh, it's a drawingprogram for iPad.
And I just taught a class init.
And you can download it for $5.
So when I got home, Idownloaded it, and then I didn't
do much for the first fewyears.
And then I found that I could Icould import photographs and
then I could draw over thephotographs, change them around.
So that's actually these twoboys are my nephew and his
(14:58):
husband's sons.
They adopted these twoHispanic, Latino boys.
They adopted them, they werepreemie babies, and then I use
them and I I changed theirfaces.
They didn't want them to benoticed as their boys.
So I just changed their faces alittle bit.
So that's what I do for the allthe illustrations.
So they're all I bring picturesin and then I draw over them, I
(15:19):
change them.
I, you know, if I have somebodysitting in a chair, I'll put a
picture of a chair, then I'llput a picture of the person,
then I'll make it my person andmy chair.
What's the message?
Yeah, it's just fun.
Beverley Glazer (15:32):
What's the message behind those books, that
series?
What are you doing?
Suzi K Edwards (15:36):
The dog series?
Well, that you know, dogs arealways really important to me,
and they still are.
And, you know, dogs arechildren's friends.
So each each book in the seriesis about a child, or in this
case, these twin boys, and um,they were not doing really well,
they were misbehaving, and theyreally wanted a dog.
They had friends that had dogs,so they ended up they the the
(15:58):
dads wanted them to get a littledog like a chihuahua, and they
go to the pound and they findthis dog um who's a farm dog,
Big Nell.
And Big Nell had lived on thefarm her whole life, except the
farmer and his wife got old andthey had to go to assisted
living.
So Nell ended up in the pound.
So they got her from the poundand she became she became Matt
(16:20):
and Zach's dog.
So they all have stories abouta particular dog and particular
children, and how the dogschanged the children's lives for
the better.
And of course, the childrenchanged the dogs' lives for the
better.
Sounds charming.
Six books on the market now.
There's seven in the work, andthey're 15 plans.
So terrific and get them oneveryone.
Beverley Glazer (16:40):
Yeah.
Susie, you have faced loss, youface loneliness, you've raised
children on your own.
What helped you at during thosetimes where you really thought
that life was impossible?
What helped you then?
Suzi K Edwards (16:53):
Friends, you know, just calling friends if I
feel lonely.
You know, I go for a walk or Icall somebody on the phone.
But I, you know, but I've alsocome now where I really like
being alone quite a lot.
And that's only happened maybein the last five years.
I was always looking forsomething outside of myself.
But now, you know, creativity.
So I mean, I work on thecomputer, I draw something, or I
(17:15):
and now I just moved into a newhouse, so I'm decorating.
So that's a lot of fun.
So I just keep really busy, youknow, and I don't feel sorry
for myself.
I feel grateful for my life.
Very grateful.
Beverley Glazer (17:27):
So for women listening who are facing their
struggles right now, what is onetruth you've learned in your 81
years?
Suzi K Edwards (17:36):
To be grateful for the good things that you do
have and to keep keep goingbecause things change every
moment.
You know, that's the one thingthat the Buddha said that
everything changes.
There's nothing.
Even if you're having aparticularly good time, you
don't know how long that's gonnalast.
So just be happy, be in themoment, you know, be grateful in
the moment, have a good timewhen the good times are there,
and when the bad times arethere, know that that too will
(17:57):
pass, you know.
And learn breathing.
If you can learn breathing,that's really helpful.
I mean, I've I've been in thehospital a couple of times
recently.
I was having um a lot of highblood pressure, found out that I
have sleep apnea.
So now I use a CPAP, eventhough I didn't like it.
Now I'm used to it.
It's okay.
Um, and I don't have high bloodpressure anymore.
So that was, you know, I wasgetting these hypertensive
(18:18):
crises where my blood pressurewas over 200.
So it's like, oh, in theambulance to the hospital, but
they couldn't find anythingwrong with my heart.
And then we figured out thatit's from the sleep apnea, and
now it's not happening anymore.
Beverley Glazer (18:31):
Right.
Okay, Suzi
Suzi K Edwards (18:32):
So there's always a solution.
There's always a solution foreverything.
Beverley Glazer (18:36):
And the underlying words really are for
all of us, be grateful.
Thank you, Suzi.
Suzi K Edwards is a former NewYork clothing designer, a public
artist, an author, anillustrator who was born legally
blind.
She's the creator of TheDoggos, a book series for
children, the memoir, The QuietMind, Crazy Heart, and her
(19:00):
mosaics and public art can beseen in communities across the
USA.
Susie is a mother, agrandmother, and a mentor, and
she believes that everychallenge holds the seeds of
growth and joy.
Here are some takeaways fromthis episode: your inner vision
matters more than what youactually see.
(19:20):
Confidence grows each time youovercome what felt impossible.
And joy is a choice.
If it didn't happen as a child,you can learn to create it
later in life.
If you've been relating toSuzi's story, here's some
actions that you can do rightnow to make you feel lighter.
Flip the lens.
Instead of asking, why me?
(19:42):
Ask what can I do now?
And stop being the victim.
You become that creator.
Change your environment.
Even a short walk, a drive, orarranging plants can reset your
energy level and replace onenegative thought with an
encouraging one right now.
For similar episodes on findingjoy, check out episode 127 and
(20:06):
145 of Aging with Purpose andPassion.
And if you like podcasts ofolder women, the Link
Late Bloomer Living Podcastembraces change and insparks joy
to play playfully at any age.
Meet inspiring guests and sharepractical real-world tips on
that show.
(20:27):
And that link is going to be inthe show notes below.
And so, Suzi, where can peoplefind you, learn more about you,
see your installations, and seeeverything about you?
What are your links?
Suzi K Edwards (20:39):
So um Instagram is Suzi K Edwards1,
S-U-Z-I-K-E-D-W-A-R-D-S One.
My website, www.suzi, s-i-kEdwards.
It's all Suzi K Edwards.
Suzi K Edwards, also Suzi K.
Edwards on Facebook, also SuziK.
Edwards on YouTube.
(21:00):
I have a bunch of videos onYouTube about meditation and
breathing that I did becauseI've been teaching meditation on
Viking ships.
And I thought since I travel bymyself, it'd be a good way to
meet people.
So I contacted Viking and theysaid, Well, what do you have on
YouTube?
And I didn't have anything, soI started making videos.
So there's a bunch of stuff onYouTube under Suzi K.
(21:22):
Edwards.
So just rememberS-U-Z-I-K-Edwards, go on Amazon.
You can see my memoir, QuietMind, Crazy Heart, and all the
doggos, the six doggo booksavailable on Amazon.
And you'll enjoy them.
Check it out.
Beverley Glazer (21:39):
And if you missed that, all Suzi's links
are in the show notes and alsoon my site too.
That's reInventimpossible.com.
And so, my friends, what's nextfor you?
Are you just going through themotions or are you living a life
that you truly love?
Get my free guide to go fromstuck to unstoppable.
And where do you think that is,that's in the show notes too.
(22:00):
You can connect with me,Beverley Glazer, on all social
media platforms and in mypositive group of women on
Facebook.
That's Women Over50 Rock.
And thank you for listening.
Have you enjoyed thisconversation?
Please subscribe to let usspread the word and drop a
review by sending it to afriend.
And remember, you only have onelife.
(22:22):
So live it with purpose andpassion.
Announcer (22:31):
Thank you for joining us.
You can connect with Bev on herwebsite,
reinventimpossible.com.
And while you're there, joinour newsletter.
Subscribe so you don't miss anepisode.
Until next time, keep agingwith purpose and passion.
And celebrate life.
Welcome to Aging with Purpose and Passion, the
podcast designed to inspire yourgreatness and thrive through
life.
Get ready to conquer yourfears.
Here's your host,psychotherapist, coach, and
empowerment expert, BeverleyGlazer.
Beverley Glazer (00:33):
What if every challenge life threw at you
became the material for yourgreatest creation?
Welcome to Aging with Purposeand Passion.
I'm Beverley Glazer, a catalystfor women who are ready to
raise the bar in their ownlives.
And you can find me onreInventimpossible.com.
Suzi K.
(00:53):
Edwards is a former New Yorkclothing designer.
She's a public artist, anauthor, and an illustrator who
was born legally blind.
She is the creator of TheDoggos, a book series for
children.
The memoir, The Quiet Mind, TheCrazy Heart, and her mosaics
(01:14):
and public art can be seen incommunities all across the
United States.
Susie has spent her lifetransforming her challenges into
creativity, and she believesthat every challenge holds the
seeds for growth, resilience,and joy.
Welcome, Susie.
(01:35):
Welcome.
Thank you so much.
Glad to be here.
Susie, your grandfather was achemist, and he was also a
bootlegger.
And this was during theprohibition.
Suzi K Edwards (01:49):
And what was life like for you as a child?
Well, I wasn't born duringprohibition.
I was born in the 1940s.
So when I came along, he he wasjust the sweetest man in the
world.
He always had time for me.
I grew up in the VirginIslands.
He built the first luxury hotelon St.
Thomas.
And I used to sit with him inthe lobby.
(02:10):
It was a big lobby with high,high ceilings.
And the guests would comefloating through and you know,
greet us.
And he was just a wonderful,wonderful guy.
He always had time for me,which was special.
Yeah, well, you were hisgranddaughter.
Beverley Glazer (02:23):
Correct.
And you were one of six, andthe oldest child and legally
blind.
Um, did that affect yourconfidence?
Suzi K Edwards (02:31):
Born legally blind.
Don't know what happened.
They never did figure it out.
Yes, but did that affect yourconfidence as a child?
Oh, yes, as a in in school, Iwas picked on.
I remember even in first grade,when I went to first grade, we
didn't they kids didn't startlike my grandson, you know,
started school at like two, andmy kids started at three.
So we started at you know, sixyears old.
(02:54):
And I remember I just didn'twant to go to school anymore
because the kids really pickedon me.
And that went on all throughelementary school, middle
school.
And, you know, high highschool, I went to boarding
school, and that was verydifferent.
It was a small school, and youknow, people appreciated you
more for your intelligence andyour humor, and it wasn't all
about how I look because I woreglasses since the time I was
(03:16):
two.
So I and they're thick ones,they're like coke bottles.
Sure.
Oh, sure.
I have them small because thebigger, because concave and
convex lenses, the bigger theyget, the the thicker they are.
So I keep them little.
So and I met as well.
I you know, I I still drive,and I'm 81 now, and I I still
drive, and I drive a BMW, and Ihave a pretty heavy foot.
(03:38):
I'm always slowing down.
Don't want tickets.
Beverley Glazer (03:40):
So um, but Cissy, let's go back there.
You were also brought up inthat hotel, right?
Okay, which is really alsounusual.
It wasn't just you, it was theentire family was taken from the
U.S.
and everyone was living on thehotel.
What was it like growing up ina hotel?
I mean, there was three years.
Suzi K Edwards (04:00):
Yeah, it was yeah, you know it was
interesting because when thereweren't a lot of guests, I had
my own room.
So we had a suite.
We had a family suite, myparents had a bedroom, my
brother and I shared a bedroom.
And then when the hotel wasquiet, there was a little room,
a little single room that wasrented to guests.
But when the hotel was quiet, Ihad my own room.
And then when the hotel gotbusy, I shared the room with my
(04:23):
brother.
And one thing that my fatherdid tell stories about how we
would order room service, and wewould order all these really
fancy dishes from room service.
So instead of, you know, havingmom cook or a cook cook, we
ordered room service.
And that's what we came toknow.
And then when I was around 10or 11, I moved to the hotel, I
was six when we moved to theislands.
(04:44):
And then um, when I was 10 or11, we built our own houses up
the hill from the hotel.
So my grandparents, my aunt anduncle, and our house were all
kind of in a row.
Um, and I think they had anarchitect and they all used the
same plan, but everybody changedtheir bit.
So we sort of made a little ourown little suburb.
And that was uh the hotel wasmore fun, actually.
(05:05):
But you know, we would thehotel was just down there, so my
brother and my cousin and Iwould go and we'd still play.
Beverley Glazer (05:12):
But you were also I was with the dogs, of
course.
But you were also legally blindand you became creative.
How did you express thatcreativity as a child?
Suzi K Edwards (05:22):
Drawing, you know, I had dolls, I love my
dolls, and I would make littleclothes for them.
You know, I I I was always aterrible seamstress.
Even when I went to LondonCollege of Fashion, I mean I was
I was always a good designer.
I always had the creativeideas, but I never had the
patience to sew properly.
So I remember at London Collegeof Fashion, there were these
women from Africa that were abit older than we were.
(05:44):
I was around 1819 when I wentto school there.
And there were women maybe intheir 30s, and they came from
Africa to learn how to beseamstresses.
So I would pay them to do mysewing.
If I designed something, I likeI remember this yellow plaid
wool pant suit that I created,and I would have other people
sew them because I mean I had tolearn how to sew, but I just
(06:04):
was never good at it.
And I hate so there you go.
But you were also I love towrite.
I love to create.
So I mean that's that's the funthing for me.
Beverley Glazer (06:13):
But you went back, you went back to New York,
and you got a job on SeventhAvenue.
Suzi K Edwards (06:18):
It was a great synchronistic story.
Yes, I did.
I landed a fantastic job justthrough a connection.
It just happened, and it's inmy book.
I'm not gonna tell you thestory, but it's in my book.
And you know, I found that themost amazing things in my life
happened throughsynchronicities.
Beverley Glazer (06:36):
Okay.
So now you're in New York.
Okay, you're a designer.
Were you ever challenged as adesigner who's legally blind?
Suzi K Edwards (06:44):
No, because I can see with glasses.
I mean, with glasses, with oneeye I can't see at all.
One eye is uncorrectable.
And my good eye, I have 2200vision in my good eye, but with
glasses, I have 2030 vision.
That's why I can drive and Ican function.
And my left eye, I can't see atall, but the right eye
compensates.
So that's it.
The body compensates for whatdoesn't work.
(07:05):
So you know, I manage.
But without glasses, I mean, ifI take off my glasses in the
bedroom and I don't know where Iput them and I can't find them,
I'm like feeling around likethis.
I have to go get another pairof glasses and put them on so I
can find my glasses.
It's it's it's bad, but youknow, you manage.
You just manage.
That's true.
That's true.
But then what drew you tospirituality?
(07:27):
Oh, let's see.
Uh, divorce.
Divorce.
Divorce.
So I I got I had my firstmarriage when I was, I think,
23, and that lasted three orfour years.
And and um, you know, he was agreat guy, and I loved him, but
you know, I was paying all thebills, and that's sort of been
the way because I always didwell.
I always made money throughsome kind of creative pursuit.
(07:49):
And I just got tired of payingall the bills, and it just kind
of didn't work out.
So, but then I was heartbrokenbecause I I loved him.
So I I decided to leave being aclothing designer, and I went
up to Woodstock, and I lived ina teepee, and I started staring
tarot cards, and and it therewere there was no yoga then.
I mean, it was yoga was juststarting, and then I found out
(08:09):
about a yoga teacher trainingcourse down in the Bahamas on
Paradise Island.
So I signed up and I in 1973 Idid my yoga teacher training,
and I've been doing yoga mywhole life.
So now not so much anymore.
I'm a little bit lazy, but I dothe meditation a lot.
But the the physical yoga, as Isay, I'm a little lazy.
But you also uh went to India.
(08:31):
Yeah, I went to India.
I've been there twice.
I went there in the 70s as adevotee, you know, with just a
little a backpack and a and aand a sleeping bag and wearing
saris.
And I was there for two monthsthen.
And then I went again maybeabout 10 years ago and stayed in
fancy hotels and you know, Iwent with Abakrami and Kent, so
(08:51):
it was a very differentexperience.
But, you know, I mean I loveIndia, but it's India's rough,
you know, there's so muchpoverty.
It's it's depressing.
It's hard, it's hard to dealwith.
You know, coming from America,you see a lot of homeless people
here, but nothing like what yousee in India.
Beverley Glazer (09:05):
No, no.
But after the divorce of yourhusband, um, he also died and
left you.
Suzi K Edwards (09:13):
He didn't know he didn't die for a long time.
I mean, he he didn't after Idivorced him, he went on and he
he he was British and he wentback to England.
He met an Israeli soldier.
He was a soldier.
Um, he was in the British Armyand then he joined the American
Army, and then he went back andhe met a woman who, an Israeli
woman, and they went and livedin Israel and had two kids.
(09:35):
And I know this because maybeabout five years ago, I get this
email from somebody calledOdelia Jean Channing, and she
asked if I was married to herfather in the Virgin Islands,
you know, back in the 70s.
And I said, yes.
I thought it has to be a scam.
How can this be real?
But it was real.
She had found after he died,she went through letters that
(09:56):
she found between his mother andme, and you know, learned about
me.
And somehow she's very smart.
She goes to Oxford getting hermaster's in in psychology from
Oxford, and she figured it out,and she found my email address,
and we've been communicating.
He had a good life, and then hedied, you know, maybe when he
(10:17):
was in his 50s.
Beverley Glazer (10:18):
Okay.
Yes, but that's so young, andyou have boys of your own.
Suzi K Edwards (10:22):
Well, that I had no children with him, but my
second husband also died in his50s.
Uh, unfortunately, I have twogreat sons.
Uh, he was he was a drugie, soyou know, unfortunately, he when
he was in his 50s, he wasn't hewas clean.
But, you know, the body takes alot of uh abuse from early drug
use, and even when they'reolder, he still smokes
(10:44):
cigarettes.
He was smoking and using anicotine patch to stop smoking
at the same time, so that'snever a good thing.
Anyway, he died at 53.
And fortunately, my sons aredoing well.
One's a lawyer, one's a doctor,uh happily married, and you
know, they're great, they're intheir 40s, and and we have very
good relationships.
Beverley Glazer (11:01):
You say this so casually.
Suzi K Edwards (11:04):
What part about him dying?
Beverley Glazer (11:06):
Oh yeah, exactly.
Suzi K Edwards (11:08):
You just can't well, it's a long time ago now.
I mean, you know, he uh uh likehe was my same age, so he died,
it's almost 30 years ago, soit's not like it was some
something that just happened.
Beverley Glazer (11:19):
No, no.
But for for people listening,you know, these are ups and
downs in your life.
It's really quite something.
And what I see is Susie Edwardskeeps pulling herself up no
matter what.
Suzi K Edwards (11:32):
The meditation too, it helps.
You know, sitting themeditation, the breathing.
It makes a difference.
Beverley Glazer (11:38):
And how did you get into ceramics?
Suzi K Edwards (11:41):
I just started doing them, you know,
everything.
I just started doing them.
And then actually, I I took amosaic class, and I met this guy
in the mosaic class who justhappened to be taking the class.
He was adorable, and he justhappened to be taking the class
because the friend of his wasteaching it, and he was doing
something for her, some kind ofcomputer stuff for her.
She says, She said, Oh, well,take my class, you know, in
(12:03):
exchange.
And um, and he came with hisdaughter, who was 10, and we
were all doing mosaics, and thenhe and I became friends, and
then we became boyfriend andgirlfriend, and we we were
together for eight years, and wedid mosaics together, and then
I started making samples andputting them in showrooms and
getting jobs, and that's how Igot into the public art.
Beverley Glazer (12:22):
Exactly.
Public art, though, is reallyquite something.
You have to land thosecommissions.
Suzi K Edwards (12:26):
How did you do that?
Landing the commissions ishard, but doing the work is even
harder because they're big.
I did four projects for adeveloper, 30 feet by 10 feet,
on the side of seven-storybuildings.
So, you know, designing themand making them is hard, but
then the installations were veryhard.
And I had a a crew I had ateam, a couple that did all the
(12:48):
installations, and they workedon a lift, a hydraulic lift, and
the lift would sway becausethey were up so high.
And and the wife, it was ahusband and wife, and and she
had to take dramamine becauseshe was getting notches from the
from the lift swaying.
So I would just sit at thebottom and say, oh no, do that
over there, you know, and tellthem what to do.
Everything was I'm reallyorganized.
So everything was kind ofthey're on, um, they didn't put
(13:09):
the little pieces on the wall.
They're all done on mesh.
So they had a maybe if a apiece, maybe a foot by two feet
of mesh.
And they're all numbered andthey all have little, like in
sewing, you have these littlenotches that go together.
And this, I, you know, Ilearned from the sewing, I
learned the same thing.
So nobody taught me how to dothe public art.
I didn't go to school for it.
(13:30):
I just learned basic mosaicsand then just kind of figured it
out.
And, you know, the first jobwas harder, and then you kind of
get good at it.
You just learn, you know, youjust do it.
But I don't think anymore.
No, I stopped doing it becauseyou never get paid enough money
and it's too hard work.
So I started doing the doggos,and that's my favorite thing to
do now.
So I do the drawings on my iPadand Procreate.
(13:52):
I'll just show you a drawing.
Oh, that's that's the schoolprincipal, and the boys are in
the background, they got introuble, so they're in the
principal's office.
So anyway, I do them in thisprogram called Procreate on my
iPad, and that was anothersynchronicity.
I was my my youngest son is adoctor, and he, I guess he had
was going out to do hisresidency in uh Minneapolis.
(14:14):
So I took him out there on theplane.
Like we were in New York orFlorida, I can't remember.
I took him out there on theplane to get them settled, you
know, buy him furniture for theplace, you know, do all the good
mom stuff.
And coming back, I was sittingon the plane and the guy was
drawing on an iPad next to me.
This was like at least 10 yearsago.
And I said, What are you doing?
And he said, It's Procreate.
(14:34):
And I said, What's that?
And he said, Oh, it's a drawingprogram for iPad.
And I just taught a class init.
And you can download it for $5.
So when I got home, Idownloaded it, and then I didn't
do much for the first fewyears.
And then I found that I could Icould import photographs and
then I could draw over thephotographs, change them around.
So that's actually these twoboys are my nephew and his
(14:58):
husband's sons.
They adopted these twoHispanic, Latino boys.
They adopted them, they werepreemie babies, and then I use
them and I I changed theirfaces.
They didn't want them to benoticed as their boys.
So I just changed their faces alittle bit.
So that's what I do for the allthe illustrations.
So they're all I bring picturesin and then I draw over them, I
(15:19):
change them.
I, you know, if I have somebodysitting in a chair, I'll put a
picture of a chair, then I'llput a picture of the person,
then I'll make it my person andmy chair.
What's the message?
Yeah, it's just fun.
Beverley Glazer (15:32):
What's the message behind those books, that
series?
What are you doing?
Suzi K Edwards (15:36):
The dog series?
Well, that you know, dogs arealways really important to me,
and they still are.
And, you know, dogs arechildren's friends.
So each each book in the seriesis about a child, or in this
case, these twin boys, and um,they were not doing really well,
they were misbehaving, and theyreally wanted a dog.
They had friends that had dogs,so they ended up they the the
(15:58):
dads wanted them to get a littledog like a chihuahua, and they
go to the pound and they findthis dog um who's a farm dog,
Big Nell.
And Big Nell had lived on thefarm her whole life, except the
farmer and his wife got old andthey had to go to assisted
living.
So Nell ended up in the pound.
So they got her from the poundand she became she became Matt
(16:20):
and Zach's dog.
So they all have stories abouta particular dog and particular
children, and how the dogschanged the children's lives for
the better.
And of course, the childrenchanged the dogs' lives for the
better.
Sounds charming.
Six books on the market now.
There's seven in the work, andthey're 15 plans.
So terrific and get them oneveryone.
Beverley Glazer (16:40):
Yeah.
Susie, you have faced loss, youface loneliness, you've raised
children on your own.
What helped you at during thosetimes where you really thought
that life was impossible?
What helped you then?
Suzi K Edwards (16:53):
Friends, you know, just calling friends if I
feel lonely.
You know, I go for a walk or Icall somebody on the phone.
But I, you know, but I've alsocome now where I really like
being alone quite a lot.
And that's only happened maybein the last five years.
I was always looking forsomething outside of myself.
But now, you know, creativity.
So I mean, I work on thecomputer, I draw something, or I
(17:15):
and now I just moved into a newhouse, so I'm decorating.
So that's a lot of fun.
So I just keep really busy, youknow, and I don't feel sorry
for myself.
I feel grateful for my life.
Very grateful.
Beverley Glazer (17:27):
So for women listening who are facing their
struggles right now, what is onetruth you've learned in your 81
years?
Suzi K Edwards (17:36):
To be grateful for the good things that you do
have and to keep keep goingbecause things change every
moment.
You know, that's the one thingthat the Buddha said that
everything changes.
There's nothing.
Even if you're having aparticularly good time, you
don't know how long that's gonnalast.
So just be happy, be in themoment, you know, be grateful in
the moment, have a good timewhen the good times are there,
and when the bad times arethere, know that that too will
(17:57):
pass, you know.
And learn breathing.
If you can learn breathing,that's really helpful.
I mean, I've I've been in thehospital a couple of times
recently.
I was having um a lot of highblood pressure, found out that I
have sleep apnea.
So now I use a CPAP, eventhough I didn't like it.
Now I'm used to it.
It's okay.
Um, and I don't have high bloodpressure anymore.
So that was, you know, I wasgetting these hypertensive
(18:18):
crises where my blood pressurewas over 200.
So it's like, oh, in theambulance to the hospital, but
they couldn't find anythingwrong with my heart.
And then we figured out thatit's from the sleep apnea, and
now it's not happening anymore.
Beverley Glazer (18:31):
Right.
Okay, Suzi
Suzi K Edwards (18:32):
So there's always a solution.
There's always a solution foreverything.
Beverley Glazer (18:36):
And the underlying words really are for
all of us, be grateful.
Thank you, Suzi.
Suzi K Edwards is a former NewYork clothing designer, a public
artist, an author, anillustrator who was born legally
blind.
She's the creator of TheDoggos, a book series for
children, the memoir, The QuietMind, Crazy Heart, and her
(19:00):
mosaics and public art can beseen in communities across the
USA.
Susie is a mother, agrandmother, and a mentor, and
she believes that everychallenge holds the seeds of
growth and joy.
Here are some takeaways fromthis episode: your inner vision
matters more than what youactually see.
(19:20):
Confidence grows each time youovercome what felt impossible.
And joy is a choice.
If it didn't happen as a child,you can learn to create it
later in life.
If you've been relating toSuzi's story, here's some
actions that you can do rightnow to make you feel lighter.
Flip the lens.
Instead of asking, why me?
(19:42):
Ask what can I do now?
And stop being the victim.
You become that creator.
Change your environment.
Even a short walk, a drive, orarranging plants can reset your
energy level and replace onenegative thought with an
encouraging one right now.
For similar episodes on findingjoy, check out episode 127 and
(20:06):
145 of Aging with Purpose andPassion.
And if you like podcasts ofolder women, the Link
Late Bloomer Living Podcastembraces change and insparks joy
to play playfully at any age.
Meet inspiring guests and sharepractical real-world tips on
that show.
(20:27):
And that link is going to be inthe show notes below.
And so, Suzi, where can peoplefind you, learn more about you,
see your installations, and seeeverything about you?
What are your links?
Suzi K Edwards (20:39):
So um Instagram is Suzi K Edwards1,
S-U-Z-I-K-E-D-W-A-R-D-S One.
My website, www.suzi, s-i-kEdwards.
It's all Suzi K Edwards.
Suzi K Edwards, also Suzi K.
Edwards on Facebook, also SuziK.
Edwards on YouTube.
(21:00):
I have a bunch of videos onYouTube about meditation and
breathing that I did becauseI've been teaching meditation on
Viking ships.
And I thought since I travel bymyself, it'd be a good way to
meet people.
So I contacted Viking and theysaid, Well, what do you have on
YouTube?
And I didn't have anything, soI started making videos.
So there's a bunch of stuff onYouTube under Suzi K.
(21:22):
Edwards.
So just rememberS-U-Z-I-K-Edwards, go on Amazon.
You can see my memoir, QuietMind, Crazy Heart, and all the
doggos, the six doggo booksavailable on Amazon.
And you'll enjoy them.
Check it out.
Beverley Glazer (21:39):
And if you missed that, all Suzi's links
are in the show notes and alsoon my site too.
That's reInventimpossible.com.
And so, my friends, what's nextfor you?
Are you just going through themotions or are you living a life
that you truly love?
Get my free guide to go fromstuck to unstoppable.
And where do you think that is,that's in the show notes too.
(22:00):
You can connect with me,Beverley Glazer, on all social
media platforms and in mypositive group of women on
Facebook.
That's Women Over50 Rock.
And thank you for listening.
Have you enjoyed thisconversation?
Please subscribe to let usspread the word and drop a
review by sending it to afriend.
And remember, you only have onelife.
(22:22):
So live it with purpose andpassion.
Announcer (22:31):
Thank you for joining us.
You can connect with Bev on herwebsite,
reinventimpossible.com.
And while you're there, joinour newsletter.
Subscribe so you don't miss anepisode.
Until next time, keep agingwith purpose and passion.
And celebrate life.
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