TEN Years

I've been quiet this summer, but today is a huge day for me.

8/5/2015 - 8/5/2025

This summer Brielle raised a pig, Oakley, through 4-H and the Livestock Enrichment Program. Oakley taught our family a lot about life and death. What I learned most, is that our family has already experienced so much life and death together.

10 Years ago today, when Brielle was just 4 months old, I received the news that I had stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. This was 5 years after my first diagnosis.

For months and years after that, I navigated raising a baby, while wondering if I'd be alive to see her grow up.

Each milestone was a celebration to cherish. And it took years before I stopped questioning in my mind, if it would be the last milestone I got to see.

It took years to be able to share my deepest and darkest fears with those I loved most.

It took years to focus on the joys instead of the fears.

As Brielle grew, she witnessed me grieving my unknown future.

She witnessed me grieving the fact that she'd be an only child.

She witnessed me grieving the loss of many friends in my local breast cancer support group.

She witnessed me losing my cancer bestie -- the one person that understood me best. The one that played a huge role in bringing Brielle into this world.

But, Brielle has also witnessed me transform how I choose to live my days.

She witnessed me finding hope and joy after acknowledging and processing so much grief, loss, and fear.

She witnessed me walk away from a corporate career that was no longer serving our family.

She witnessed me writing to process the pain.

She witnessed me publishing my first book.

She witnesses me holding space for others when they're facing their hardest days.

She witnesses me trusting God and the future path He has for me.

TEN years with a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis.

TEN years of watching our miracle baby grow

TEN years as a family of 3.

Our summer with Oakley went so fast. We've already said our last goodbye. We cherish and hold onto the memories we had with him. And we remember all the ways we made each other's lives better.

Just like our summer with Oakley, these past 10 years:

Faith is what I finally landed on, although it was lost for a long time

Grateful is an understatement

Hope for the future restored

Through all these years of pain, fear and suffering I learned:

Before one can have true F - G - H

(Faith - Gratitude - Hope)

It's important to remember, the alphabet begins with A - B - C - D

More to come on this process that I've spelled out. I know this can help others and my plan is to make this happen.

I don't believe that God (or the universe) intentionally puts challenging times on us. But I do believe that we can use those challenges to help others -- to create good in our world.

For today, I'll CELEBRATE how far I've come, while holding tight to Hope and the Future.

If you're in need of a little Hope today, I hope you see my story as

a sign,

a nudge from the universe,

a glimmer of Beauty even among the Hard.