Michelle Lydon

GREG DERR/The Patriot Ledger

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HerStory: Michelle Lydon, 45,  of Quincy is a funeral director and owner of  Lydon Chapel for Weddings.  This is her perspective on life right now

PRIDE AND JOY: In addition to meeting my husband, Chuck, and raising two  wonderful children, I am most proud professionally of purchasing  Lydon Chapel for Funerals and Weddings three years ago. Owning  my own business is the culmination of 25 years as a licensed  funeral director and nearly a decade of serving as a justice of the  peace, officiating at more than 700 weddings.
 
PERFECT DAY: It would be hard to top this past July 4, when I married a U.S.  Army sergeant home on leave and his fiancée in an impromptu  outdoor ceremony at my home. It was wonderful to have an  opportunity to participate in the couple’s special day, then spend the  rest of the holiday with family and friends.

LOOKING FORWARD: I would love to write a  book one day to share  some of the grace and  courage I’ve  witnessed in  people who have lost their  loved ones. I’d also like to  incorporate my wedding  experiences – especially some of  my memorable “drive-through”  wedding stories. From celebrating  a wedding to celebrating a life, my  dual occupations really balance  me.

PASS IT ON: I have yet to hear a better  saying than, “Live, Laugh, Love!”  This game called life is not a  rehearsal, so live every day to the  fullest.

 Nominate someone you know for 24/7 of HerStory. This originally appeared inWOMYnZONE, a section for women published in the Patriot Ledger and The Enterprise.