Psychotherapist Alexandra Kennedy ’75 was a pioneer in the field of grief in the 1990s when her first book, Losing a Parent (HarperCollins), became a bestseller. Her professional work moved deeply into the field of grief and loss while her private life sought union with the Divine Feminine. The result of this 30-year journey is her third book, the just-published How Did I Miss All This Before? Waking Up to the Magic of Our Ordinary Lives (iUniverse; $19.95; ISBN 1450207987). A psychotherapist for more than 30 years, Kennedy has written an intimate account of courageous transformation in the midst of life’s common challenges–truly a woman’s path of awakening. Alexandra’s three-decade quest begins with an unusual transcendent experience, unfolds through epiphanies at three sacred Earth sites, and culminates in the discovery that her yearning was always available to be fulfilled right here, in the most ordinary aspects of daily life. Through the medium of a compelling, multilayered story that is both personal and accessible, How Did I Miss All This Before? offers a unique combination of rich prose, deep professional and personal experience, interactive questions for readers, and a wealth of references from pioneers of both spirit and psychology. We tend to believe that waking up to our natural state of joyfulness comes with huge claps of thunder or miraculous events. Yet How Did I Miss All This Before? shows that life’s magic happens in the most ordinary of moments, if only we are willing to see with fresh eyes. The process of awakening involves being fully present to life as it is right now. Kennedy’s message is for everyone wishing to find greater openness to life in each precious moment. Kennedy, who lives in Santa Cruz, Calif., has served on the faculty of John F. Kennedy University, UC-Santa Cruz Extension, and the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Her writing has been featured in USA Today, San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Examiner, Boston Herald, Yoga Journal, and Mothering Magazine.