THE NEW PATH

In one year, Nita Sweeney’s 24-year-old niece died of cancer, her father-in-law died, and in December, her mother died. She was on six types of medication, she was overweight, and had been chronically depressed for years. She’d always wanted to write a book but didn’t have the stamina or focus. For Sweeney, her path in life felt like it had hit a dead end. She was at a low point and wasn’t sure that she wanted to continue.

Sitting on her sofa one afternoon she read a post from a friend - who was about her age and size - on social