by Linda Hogan
Seeking closure: Hopefully, you’ll find a few tips in my book to help you with this. You can’t ever expect full “closure.” With kids, families, legal tugs-of-war that never seem to end, you may never get it. Just realize that your new life is all the closure you need!
Epilogue
TODAY IS JULY 21, 2010. I’M IN NAPA VALLEY! MY goodness, I’ve dreamed of taking a trip up here for the longest time. Me being from California and loving wine, nature, and good times, I had to pinch myself as I sat back in the velvet easy chair on the Sonoma County Wine train. I was actually there! Not dreaming about going there. I brought Charley and my darling Brooke! (She’s twenty-two now!) We are all happy, laughing, and enjoying the day. Brooke has known how much I used to talk about a trip like this, and I never realized I’d actually be on this trip and enjoying it with her. Charley is laughing, Brooke is taking pictures, and I can’t help but reflect—I take a sip of my delicious sauvignon blanc and gaze out at the vast open vineyards, the beautiful green hillsides, the sun-drenched skies in the warm California air.
It’s been a long road getting to this point. During my marriage, we had good times. I was a full-time support system to my husband, but with a lot of hard work came exciting times, too. I was more than a wife; I was a mom, friend, adviser, housekeeper, party planner, sex goddess, chief cook, and bottle washer. I wore just about every hat. I loved my life and thrived on being a multitasker. I handled it all with ease; the only thing I couldn’t handle was Terry’s infidelity—again.
I had some tough years throughout my marriage and always tried to see the glass half full. But through the divorce, it became so difficult to keep the same perspective. At times, I thought there would be no end to the pain of understanding what my marriage was really about, no relief from the sadness, no escape from the reality of realizing your family is broken, your husband of almost twenty-four years is gone—crying as you start packing your life into cardboard boxes, thinking that the road ahead is unbearable, not knowing where or how you will end up.
I’m thankful to God and my family, children, friends, and Charley for surrounding me with their help to weather the storm. But I did it and you can, too. God closes doors, but he opens windows. You need to look at your life at a low point and view it as the beginning, not the end. A second chance to live and love again your way! Be a little kinder to yourself. Instead of the regular old to-do list, make it a “to-do-for-me” list. Write that “bucket list” down, even if it seems like you’re a zillion miles away from doing or achieving any of it. Just write it down and date it. Start saying yes a bit more, and stop taking life so seriously and smile more. When you’re independent, these things radiate positivity. You need strength of character to become a survivor. This is only the beginning of a new you!
Acknowledgments
I want to thank all of the people who helped me come to the realization that I needed to write this book. Many of you encouraged me before I ever put my pen to paper by having faith in me and helping to see me through such a difficult time. I’m thankful to have you all in my life!
Brooke and Nick, being your mom is the most joyous thing in my life. Thank you for your love, your kisses, and your respect. You are the wind beneath my wings. P.S. I miss making you chocolate ba-bas!
Charley, for always being there for me through the public and private times in my life, loving me and my kids, giving me a future to embrace, making me laugh, hearing me cry, and loving life with me.
My family, who has always been a phone call away and has always been there for me. My mom, for her unwavering support and love; my dad, for being a good dad and a good husband to mom; my sister, Christie, my confidante and shrink; and my brother, Joey, for fixing up all my homes and adding a little humor!
Ray Rafool and Ivan Parron, for being the smartest, most savvy lawyers in the world! Travis, for helping me deal with the financial confusion I was in during my divorce. My closest friends, who listened to me cry, made me laugh, and always believed it was “Linda Nation.” Jorge and Veronica, for taking care of me, my house, and all the pets through this ordeal. Thank you.
Lisa Sharkey, Amy Bendell, and the rest of the team at HarperCollins, for believing in this Valley girl with a story. My book agent, Frank Weimann at the Literary Group International, it’s time to celebrate over that bottle of super Tuscan. My photographer, Navid Matoory, for shooting a fantastic cover.
The Hyatt in Westlake Village, California, where I sat for hours writing and rewriting this book. Thanks for the service with a smile and a great chicken Caesar salad.
Foxy, my beloved little dog, who after her death became my little guardian angel. She always protected me on earth and now is guiding and watching over me from heaven. Everything is good because she still looks out for me. I miss you.
Photographic Insert
My big Italian family in 1982. (I was taking the photo. The blonde in the middle is my sister.)
With Terry in Oakland, California, on the day he proposed to me.
With Terry on the balcony at the Miramar Sheraton, Santa Monica, California, in 1981. We took the photo with my camera’s ten-second self-timer.
On a boat at Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake’s first wedding in Clearwater, Florida.
At our wedding on December 18, 1983: Mr. and Mrs. Terry Bollea.
Five months’ pregnant with Brooke and loving it!
From our first family photos: With seven-month-old Brooke in 1988.
Brooke in her walker with her coconut-head hairdo.
Brooke looking like a little daisy.
Terry and five-month-old Brooke on the beach behind our house in Clearwater, Florida.
Welcoming Brooke’s new baby brother, Nick, in 1990.
With Brooke and Nick on the set of Terry’s movie Suburban Commando.
Terry and Brooke sitting on our staircase after her first day of preschool.
Terry and Nick leaving the hotel in New York for another wrestling event.
Brooke and Nick’s first trip to Disney World, Orlando. (Thank God for pop-up strollers!)
Nick posing with Terry after his roller-hockey team won the trophy.
With Terry after we renewed our vows in beautiful Monterey, California.
Terry getting ready to board Hollywood Air, our new private Hawker.
Sitting inside my beautiful new jet with my own custom interior. No more security lines!
My family at a wedding. Left to right: my sister, Christie; Aunt Vera; me; my mother; Brooke.
With my dear friend Paige. She’s like a sister to me.
Getting ready to give the Hulkster a few surf lessons at my old stomping grounds, Malibu Beach, California.
With Terry in Margaritaville, Key West, Florida.
Partying at the Palms pool in Las Vegas, Nevada.
After I left Terry, Charley was my rock. Here we are as captain and first mate, enjoying the California sunshine.
Charley and me after stopping to admire the beautiful California mountains.
Proud mama bear with my two cubs. Check out the neon nails!
Like mother like daughter!
Four of twelve cute, fluffy, lovely dogs!
Credits
JACKET DESIGN BY RICHARD L. AQUAN
JACKET PHOTOGRAPH BY NAVID MATOORY
Insert photos are courtesy of the author.
About the Author
LINDA HOGAN is a California girl and mother of two who has become a television personality, entrepreneur, and animal activist. Linda starred on the hit reality TV show Hogan Knows Best. Because of her on-and off-screen devotion to her family, she quickly became one of America’s favorite moms. The television show stands as one of the highest-rated reality programs in VH1 network history.
After a widely publicized divorce, Linda found the strength to rebuild her life and not look back. She reminds women everywhere that you can live and love again at any age. Linda is often asked to appear on TV news and talk shows to offer her advice on divorce, relatio
nships, and women’s empowerment. An animal lover and activist, Linda teamed up with PETA in 2010 to protest against animal abuse in the circus. She continues to be involved with this important cause as well as with the Humane Society and various pet adoption agencies. She is also on the committee for the Special Olympics, Miami-Dade County. She stays busy with many business endeavors, including launching her own skin care and clothing lines and operating her farm, Sunny Girl Avocados, in Southern California.
Linda divides her time between Miami and Los Angeles, where she enjoys life in the sunshine with her boyfriend, Charley, and her twelve dogs.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
Copyright
Insert photographs are courtesy of the author.WRESTLING THE HULK. Copyright © 2011 Valley Girl Productions, LLC. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.
ISBN 978-0-06-203020-7
EPub Edition © July 2011 ISBN: 9780062092397
10 11 12 13 14 DIX/QG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
25 Ryde Road (P.O. Box 321)
Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au/ebooks
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W, 1A8, Canada
http://www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
http://www.harpercollins.com