At the age of 13, Shani became interested in religion and eventually felt the calling to become a nun. For nearly two decades, she walked in the footsteps of the nuns, hoping to one day join them.

 

When the time was finally right, she gave away all her things, said goodbye to family and friends, and boarded a plane to Taiwan where the nuns were holding a selection process for those interested in joining their lifestyle. Shani had full confidence that she would be chosen to stay and to live out her life-long calling.

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However, much to her dismay and shock, she was denied entrance into the temple. The nuns urged her to return to her home in America, not saying much else, and assured her that her future there was very bright. Unappeased and utterly heartbroken, she went home. It was a hard season of pain for her-one that lasted much longer than she would've liked-but she eventually learned to accept her fate and later got married.

 

As a married woman, Shani realized one day that the things she had learned from the nuns were actually very beneficial towards her marriage. When faced with challenges, she realized she had the tools to overcome them. When others struggled in their relationships, she often knew the ways in which to help. The lessons she had gained from emulating the nuns were proving to be most useful in the home and she wanted to share everything she learned with other married women. 

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That is how the book, If Nuns Were Wives, came to be, and how she stepped into her role of helping women in their marriages. She hopes that the ways of the nuns can empower women to become their most compassionate, wise and happy selves. She also wishes that families can remain intact and that children can grow up with both sets of parents in a safe and nurturing environment.

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If there's one thing she would like wives to remember her by, it's this:

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That women have the power to completely alter the climate of their homes and that they can single-handedly bring peace to their families and thus, the world. This is a book to empower women to be their highest selves when difficult circumstances call for it. 

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Being a wife often requires the same tenacity and discipline as a nun. May women everywhere step up to fulfill this calling of strength and compassion.

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Shani and her partner have been together since 2005. Together with their four kids, they live in Southern California.