The Wedding Gift, Finding Joy In The Midst of Death

Margaret is a mom, exercise professional, and small business owner who resides in Pataskala, Ohio, with her husband, Todd, and daughter. Margaret and Todd are Cincinnati natives. She is a cradle Catholic who grew up in a large family of 9 in Cincinnati. She credits her family structure as pivotal in shaping her Christian views.

Margaret has spent her entire career in health, athletics, and fitness. She currently owns Agers In Condition LLC, a personal training business in Columbus, specializing in training older adults over age 50. She is a leader in her field with 30+ years of experience as an ACE-Certified CPT. Her career focus is strong in education, teaching, and athletic coaching, having worked at three universities in the Midwest. While immersed in these Christian academic settings, her interest in writing developed. She holds an M.Ed. in Health and Sports Performance and a B.A. in Health, Movement Education, and Recreation.

Influential Women (IW) feature video. Margaret was selected as a leader in her field in Ohio in 2026. A woman who leads, innovates, and inspires!

Most brides spend the week before their wedding finalizing flowers and seating charts. Margaret Hofmann spent hers sitting beside her mother's hospital bed. In The Wedding Gift, the author shares the true story of preparing for a marriage while facing the imminent loss of her mother to aggressive cancer. More than a memoir, this book is a love story... not only between a bride and groom, but also between a mother and daughter. Margaret lets the reader peek into a transformative time in her life, two weeks before her wedding, when she discovers that joy can coexist with extreme grief. In one chapter, the author talks about a miracle she received from her mother. This is a powerful memoir and unforgettable wedding story that you do not want to miss.

This 2nd, expanded edition, and highly rated memoir has 2 additional chapters, more pictures, biblical quotes, and inspirational poems.

The Wedding Gift will be archived at the Mother Teresa Center in San Diego, CA, and at the Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty "Venerable" Foundation in Budapest, Hungary.

My mother, Pauline Hofmann, was my greatest influence in life and one of the loves of my life. I honor her with this book. Not only was she a mom of 7 kids, but a wife, a lay Comboni missionary, lover, and giver to other people, especially those in need.

The Wedding Gift is a "charity book," meaning the proceeds from its sale will go to my mother's education fund (PH Education Fund), which supports a poor school in Nairobi, Kenya. Set up by Father Paulino Mondo, a Comboni Priest serving in Africa and a close friend of the Hofmann family. The school and its students are in desperate need of the necessities for daily survival. You can help provide school supplies, uniforms, and meals to the students. See photos of the school on Flickr. To learn more about the Comboni Missionaries, go to: www.combonimissionaries.org. To donate to the fund directly, hit Donate on their home page, then hit Donate Now, and in the comment section of the form, type for the PH Education Fund. Thank You!