Parallel
lives
By Elena Perri
Special to the CS&T
The similarities between Debbie Lillard and Claudine Wolk
are striking. Both women attended Nativity of Our Lord School
and Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster. When they
graduated from Archbishop Wood in 1985, Lillard was the
valedictorian and Wolk was the salutatorian.
Both got married and had three children. They also chose
to work part-time in order to be stay-at-home moms. And
now, at age 40, Lillard and Wolk have published books that
offer helpful tips for making the lives of busy moms easier.
Wolk’s humorous book “It Gets Easier!... and
Other Lies We Tell New Mothers” was published last
month, and Lillard’s book “Absolutely Organized:
A Mom’s Guide to a No-Stress Schedule and Clutter-Free
Home” was released last November.
Lillard, a professional organizer since 2003, had a goal
to write a book by the time she was 40, but she didn’t
know what the topic would be. The idea for the organizing
book came from being a busy mom of three children: April,
11; Ian, 8, and Eric, 5.
“It’s a sort of a self-help book,” said
Lillard, a member of St. Anastasia Parish in Newtown Square.
“There are step-by-step instructions for organizing
paperwork, photos, toys and clothing. The book gives people
a way to work on one problem at a time.
“If you have some order to your life, you can be less
stressed,” she added. “If you segment your days
where you’re not cleaning, washing clothes and shopping
every day, you can have days to just be with your kids.”
Wolk, a certified public accountant, said she decided to
write her book soon after giving birth to her son Joseph,
now 14 and a freshman at Archbishop Wood.
“Going from a professional life and having a baby
right after that was a huge adjustment for me and a big
shock,” said Wolk, a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Parish in Doylestown. “It was amazing to me that after
studying for so many years I could go into a venture —
motherhood — and not have any directions.”
A few weeks after Joseph was born, Wolk said she was struggling
with her son’s feeding and sleeping issues so she
turned to her mom, Peg Feledick, for advice. Feledick asked
a longtime friend, Barbara Koletty, Lillard’s mother,
for the 1960s sleeping and feeding schedule Koletty received
from her pediatrician Dr. Robert J. Kressler.
“I followed the schedule to the letter, and it proved
helpful,” said Wolk, who also has two daughters Casey,
10, and Alyssa, 7. “I decided I needed to get this
out there for other women.” The schedule is downloadable
from her Web site: www.help4newmoms.com.
Wolk, who interviewed hundreds of mothers over a 12-year
period, said the goal of her book is to provide valuable
information for new moms in a positive and humorous manner.
“I hope this book offers information that is truly
helpful, that really gives them a leg up on the experience,”
she said.
When Lillard and Wolk found out about each other’s
books through their mothers, they did a swap.
“Her book was funny, and it was so frank,” said
Lillard, who has been married to her husband Chuck for 15
years. “It brought back memories, and I definitely
could identify with a lot of what she said.”
Another parallel of these longtime friends and mothers is
that faith and family are top priorities in their lives.
“I just feel like I pray all day long,” Lillard
said. “When I’m in my car driving, it’s
one of the only times I’m alone and there’s
quiet. In my head, I’ll say, ‘It’s a beautiful
day.’ I think sometimes appreciating nature and appreciating
things is a form of prayer.”
“Going to Mass together is such an important part
of our family,” said Wolk, who has been married to
husband Joe for 17 years. “Sometimes it’s the
one time that the five of us are together and we have the
opportunity to sit together and hear the same Word.
“If you don’t have your faith to hold onto,
you’re in big trouble, especially when you’re
a new mom,” she added. “It is such a challenge,
and it’s important to be able to pray and say, ‘Please,
God, help me get through this.’”
For more information about these books, visit www.spacetospare.com
and www.help4newmoms.com.
Claudine Wolk will be doing book signings at the Barnes
and Noble on Rittenhouse Square in Center City on Thursday,
May 8 at 7 p.m. and at the Doylestown Bookshop on Saturday,
May 10 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Elena Perri is a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Havertown
and a freelance writer.
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