Therefore, Choose Life

THEREFORE, CHOOSE LIFE, by Suzanne Marks Rosoff is the true story of Suzanne and her children, Melinda and Paul. It is also a heartwarming story of a bond between a mother and son as they grow together with a choice to live well even in the face of a devastating disease. The disease is leukemia and the year is 1969 when the mortality rate for leukemia is 90%. It is also the time of the Dr. Marcus Welby, M.D. television show when the leukemia "victim" dies each week on Wednesday night. This is the story of growth from victim mentality to living fully through healing naturally. The story moves us from Pittsburgh, PA to Los Angeles, CA; from Washington, D.C. to Boston, MA., to Hollywood, FL., Europe and Israel. We meet two humane, caring doctors in two major hospitals in the United States. We experience healing both through traditional Western medicine and with alternative methods. We see how attitude, physical activity, diet, humor and love not only contribute to the healing process, but can, in fact, be the healing itself. Paul grows from survivor to healer. And Suzanne discovers new ways of living life fully as she experiences her growth from wife, mother, professional, and survivor through to her own self-discovery. The 13-year old boy who was given only a short time to live by the doctors, lives. He is a natural food chef, a student of acupuncture, lecturer, yoga teacher, shiatzu massage therapist, and counselor. "We are living in a new time, in a new age when we can explore new ways of living. The package of life that has become plastic with chemicals and preservatives can be opened to let in the fresh air of life and love. We made that choice. You can, too. It is time to, THEREFORE, CHOOSE LIFE.

Suzanne Gould Marks Rosoff was born in Pittsburgh, PA, on February 6, 1933 and grew up in the Squirrel Hill section of Pittsburgh. At age 19 she married at the Tree of Life Synagogue. She had two children at age 21 and 23; in spite of being a young mother she found time to follow her heart's passion of adding her voice to counter the injustices of the world. She took her very young children and together they marched for civil rights and joined in singing "we shall overcome" in the Baptist Churches. Later she marched for women's rights in Washington, D.C., with Gloria Steinem as the leader. As her children grew, her love of music became an important part of her life. She entertained around the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia. Later she took a job at WQED-TV, home of the Mr. Rogers' show. She became Associate Producer of two Award Winning Docu-Dramas called "The Turned-on Crisis" and the "Family Game." Together with an engineer at the station, she started an Explorer Scout Troop of boys and girls, black and white, all ages. They did not turn anyone down who wanted to learn new ways of living peacefully together and learning skills that they would use later in life. After her divorce, she moved to Washington, D.C., where her love of music led her to join the Liz Lerman "Dancers of the Third Age." They performed at the Dance Place, Wolf Trap, and Kennedy Center. Again, because she wanted to support people to be healthy, while she was living in the Boston area, she started a business called Macro Mama. She developed recipes for Tofu Egg Salad and Tempeh Salad. When she moved to Miami, she opened a restaurant called Suzanne's Vegetarian Restaurant. Her other careers included B & B's in the Berkshires and Boston, teaching ballroom dancing on many cruise lines around the world, and acting in The Reader's Theatre in Asheville, NC. She was a guest commentator and wrote many published Letters to the Editor in Asheville. This is her first published book. She hopes you find it another new experience in your life.