UNION, NJ — Kathy Nawojczyk’s first book is about her journey with her husband, Dan, and his battle with cancer. “He passed away, but fought very hard,” she said.
“You’re Not a Burden: How I Came to Realize There are No Limits to How Much Love a Heart Can Hold” is the name of the Union resident’s first book. It was published by Christian Faith Publishing Inc. in 2021.
Nawojczyk didn’t intend to write a book, but others said to her: “Why don’t you write a book. You have a good story to tell.”
Dan’s cancer began in his bladder and went up into his kidney. He was 61 when he died. “At the time, there was no treatment. Now there is,” said Nawojczyk. “It was a rough road. I thought he was going to beat it.”
Even when Dan was tired, Nawojczyk said he welcomed people to visit him. “He was loved by so many people,” she said. “Friends he hadn’t kept in touch with – in decades – came up from Florida. He said, ‘I feel so loved.’”
The Nawojczyks didn’t have children, but Dan was a “kid magnet.” Children knew how genuine he was. They had a 5-year-old neighbor who would come to the door and ask, “Is Dan home?”
“He was very spirited. He loved being with nieces and nephews,” said Nawojczyk. “He’d hang out with the kids, an all-around great guy. I’ll always miss him.”
Nawojczyk has been writing since she was a child, but has no educational background in writing. She said, “I just liked writing. It was something I did for enjoyment. I love reading as well. I have some kind of gift. Whenever someone writes something, they ask me to critique (it).”
In addition to writing, Nawojczyk is an executive assistant. “I have a wonderful boss,” she said. “I love what I do.”
She’s also a part-time fitness instructor. “I really enjoy that, getting people into shape,” she said.
Another book is floating around in Nawojczyk’s brain, but she hasn’t set down to write about it yet. It would be somewhat of a sequel to “You’re Not a Burden: How I Came to Realize There are No Limits to How Much Love a Heart Can Hold.”
In her spare time, she said she likes to get together with friends. “I’ve been blessed with some of the greatest friends in the world,” she said. “Once a month, we go on a retail therapy trip. I like to go to upscale flea markets, going to plays, traveling… I just got back from Bermuda.”
Every year since Nawojczyk’s wedding, she liked to put on her wedding dress on her anniversary. “I’d be cooking with a wedding dress on. He’d come home and he’d love it,” she said.
Since she’s no longer wearing her wedding dress, she’s going to have the dress made into a gown for babies who have passed away.
“You’re Not a Burden: How I Came to Realize There are No Limits to How Much Love a Heart Can Hold” is available on Amazon.
Photos Courtesy of Kathy Nawojczyk
