Woman finds happiness again through dance

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (WTXF) - Steve and Edie Berstler were inseparable. They worked together, raised an amazing family and looked forward to an enjoyable retirement together. But sadly even with that kind of love and support, Steve lost his battle with cancer.

"Steve died in May of 2016 and I guess you could say in many ways my entire life stopped," said Edie.

It's not a surprise that losing her life partner was as hard for Edie as we would expect.

"Within a year of his death I just hit a wall, I didn't want to do anything, I was just unhappy. I was sad."

The family was always very close so Edie's daughters were concerned about their mom.

"My daughter came home with a little yellow dog eared coupon and said you need a hobby," said Edie.

That coupon was for 'Fred Astaire Dance Studio' and it completely turned her life around. After her husband's death she didn't want to go out and struggled to smile. But after walking into the dance studio, today Edie found her dance steps and her smile.

"Steve and I had joked that we should take ballroom dancing lessons once we retire. And he said yeah we should. The fact that he said yes was a good sign, so I wonder if there was some divine intervention. I felt accepted. It was like somebody reached out their hand and said come dance with me."

Maybe it was divine intervention that pushed Edie to dance and towards a place that Owner Daria Emelianova says could relate to someone looking for an extended family.

"We're all a big family. We're originally from Russia, and we came six years ago to this country. Of course we don't have anybody here, our relatives. So the students they are our family," said Emelianova.

For Edie her story is about dancing her way out of depression.

But she really wanted to share a larger message of coping with grief to anyone in her position.

"People need to know, caregivers, anyone who has lost a significant other, a husband a wife, God forbid a child, a parent, things are gonna improve," she said.

And although she misses Steve every day, family support and a new extended family to share a hobby with has helped her to cope.

"I talk to him all the time, so sometimes I think he's dancing with me," said Edie.

Edie Berstler shares her story so people know it is possible to find happiness again, for goodness sake.